Screening tests and health counseling are a key part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help you reduce your risk of disease.
Below are guidelines for men ages 50 to 64. Talk with your healthcare provider. Make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.
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Screening
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Who needs it
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How often
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Unhealthy alcohol use
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All men in this age group
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At routine exams
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Blood pressure
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All men in this age group
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Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
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Colorectal cancer
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All men in this age group
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Talk with your healthcare provider about which test below is right for you:
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Colonoscopy every 10 years
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Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or every 10 years with yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) stool test
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CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years
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Yearly fecal occult blood test
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Yearly FIT
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Stool FIT-DNA test (also called the stool DNA test) every 3 years
If you have a test that is not a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need a colonoscopy.
You may need to be screened more or less often. This is based on personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Depression
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All men in this age group
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At routine exams
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Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
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All men in this age group with no symptoms who are overweight or obese.
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At least every 3 years (yearly if your blood sugar has already begun to rise)
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Type 2 diabetes
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All men with prediabetes
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Every year
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Hepatitis C
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All adults age 18 or older at least once in a lifetime.
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Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how often to have hepatitis C screening.
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High cholesterol or triglycerides
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All men in this age group
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About every 1 to 2 years. Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how often you should be tested.
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HIV
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All men in this age group
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At least 1 time. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors. Ask if you should be tested more often.
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Lung cancer
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All men in this age group who are in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer, and who:
Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors.
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Obesity
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All men in this age group
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At yearly routine exams
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BMI (body mass index)
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All men in this age group
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Every year, to help find out if you are at a healthy weight for your height.
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Prostate cancer
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All men in this age group, talk with your healthcare provider about risks and benefits of a digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen screening
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At routine exams if you decide to be tested.
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Syphilis
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Men at higher risk for infection
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At routine exams. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Tuberculosis
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Men at higher risk for infection
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Talk with your healthcare provider
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Vision
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All men in this age group
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Baseline screening at age 40. Talk with your healthcare provider about how often to have vision exams.
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