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Health Maintenance Recommendations for Men
Age 18-35
*Blood pressure check each year to screen for signs
of hypertension.
*Cholesterol studies to help evaluate your risk for
coronary artery disease.
*Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) booster every 10 years for
prevention of tetanus (lockjaw) and diphtheria with added pertussis booster (Tdap)
once during adulthood to prevent pertussis (whooping cough).
*Instruction in self testicular examination to
facilitate the early detection of testicular cancers.
*Advice will be offered when appropriate on diet,
exercise, smoking, and drug or alcohol abuse to help improve your quality of
life and to reduce your risk of future illness.
Vaccination with
Gardasil should be considered for males up to age 26 for
prevention of HPV (human papilloma virus). This vaccine was originally
developed for use in women to prevent cervical cancer which is nearly always the
result of HPV infection. Males should consider getting the Gardasil
vaccine to prevent HPV infections for themselves and to reduce the risk of
transmission to their partners. Besides causing cervical cancer in women,
HPV is now considered to be a major risk factor for oral and anorectal cancers
in both women and men.
Please note that this is an expensive vaccine (about $200 per shot
with 3 shots required) and is not always covered by insurance.
Age 36-64
*All of the above plus:
*Stool testing for blood each year for early
detection of colorectal tumors.
*Consider blood testing for PSA beginning at age 50
to screen for early signs of prostate cancer. It should be noted that
routine PSA testing is no longer recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force. However, special consideration is given to each individual
situation to determine the desire for PSA testing.
*Colonoscopy beginning at age 50 then every 5-10
years (depending on risk factors) for early detection of colorectal tumors.
ColoGuard DNA stool analysis to screen for colon cancer and advanced
pre-cancerous polyps is recommended every 3 years for average risk patients from
age 50 to 85. ColoGuard is now fully covered by Medicare.
Information about this test is available at ColoGuardTest.com.
*Electrocardiogram to screen for signs of heart
disease and to serve as a reference baseline.
*Complete blood count, blood chemistry panel, lipid
analysis, and tests of glucose metabolism for detection of hematologic, liver, kidney,
and metabolic disease; repeat labs
depending on individual details.
*Influenza vaccination each year for prevention of
flu and its complications.
For our patients 60 and over, vaccination with Zostavax can be considered
for reducing the chance and severity of shingles (Herpes zoster).
Please note that this is a very expensive vaccine (over $200), is not
always covered by insurance, and is only partially protective against shingles.
Please also note that a new more effective shingles vaccine is expected soon
from Glaxo Smith Kline. Patients may want to wait until the new zoster
vaccine is available to decide which one offers the greatest value in terms of
protection against shingles.
Age 65 and Above
*All of the above plus:
*Pneumovax PPSV23 and Prevnar PCV13 to prevent
pneumonia, sinusitis, and meningitis from pneumococcal infections.
These guidelines represent an overview of our
general recommendations for health maintenance and disease prevention.
Your special needs for various evaluations will depend upon your personal
history, family history, risk factors, and physical findings.
We will tailor a screening protocol to fit your individual health needs.
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