The Health Checklist For Men Over 50 - A Government Agency Did Something Good

Guys over 50 have usually begun to experience the early indications of aging. They can not run as fast as younger guys. They have usually experienced consternation and sometimes panic. Consternation is the first time you can not do IT twice. Panic is the second time you could not do IT once!

What should a man over fifty be concerned about? What can be done inexpensively and accurately that means something to his health?

The AHRQ has published a check list. I think it is incomplete but it represents a good start. Let me evaluate the list and tell you what I think they got right.

First the core recommendations are solid and have great evidence to back them up. The recommendations are for a man over 50 to abstain from tobacco, use alcohol moderately if at all, get regular exercise, reduce weight to ideal level and maintain that level and eat a healthy diet. I presume they mean like the diet recommended by another government agency that published the recommendations under the title MyPyramid.

The next set of recommendations are still backed up with good science. Maybe take 81mg. of Aspirin a day. Update your basic immunizations like Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (whooping cough). Take a flu shot every year. Think about shingles vaccine.

The rest can be argued with but over all are pretty solid also. Get checked for obesity - your doctor will determine your BMI. Easy and cheap. Screen for high blood pressure. OK, take the blood pressure in the office and a couple of times at home. Automatic cuffs are cheap and accurate so you can check it yourself at home regularly. Do a screening for cholesterol and blood sugar - again cheap and easy. Screen for colon cancer. Not cheap or easy - requires a colonoscopy, but smart! Worth the expense.

Get screened for depression. Easy, fill out a questionnaire and discuss your answers with your doctor. Get screened for STDs including HIV. OK, herpes type two antibodies, syphilis, and HIV all blood tests. Easy but not cheap unless you get it done at the health department. Then you will find out the meaning of socialized medicine. You can screen for the presence of gonorrhea and chlamydia in a simple urine specimen. It is easy but not cheap.

AHRQ recommend screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm also.

They leave out a few things like testosterone, erectile dysfunction, and a few others.

I invite you to learn more from Bruce L Bair, wellness coach and Certified Physician Assistant.

I invite you to learn more from Bruce L Bair, wellness coach and Certified Physician Assistant.

Consider listening to a free teleseminar hosted by Bruce every Thursday night. You can sign up for Recipe to Look Better Naked on his blog http://www.GettheSkinney.com

If you opt for the seminar you get three benefits. First, Privacy Protection Second, Great information Third, a no cost opportunity to listen to and ask questions about a topic that interests you.



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