6 Steps To Good Health For Women Over 50
Health Checklist for Women Over 50
PREVENTATIVE SCREENING TESTS
- Blood pressure – have it checked at least once every 2 years. 140/90 is a good pressure to be around
- Cholesterol levels checked – a good cholesterol level for 50 year old women are: normal total cholesterol level for adults without heart disease is less than 200 mg/dL. An HDL cholesterol level of 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease, while a level less than 50 mg/dL for women or 40 mg/dL for men is considered a major risk factor for heart disease
- Type 2 Diabetes test – if you have family history of diabetes, are overweight or obese, have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, make sure to have a blood glucose test to measure long-term blood sugar control.
- Breast exams – yes, this means a mammogram. If you have family history of breast cancer, you should start the exams in your 40’s. If you’re at a higher risk for breast cancer, have the exam every year. Otherwise every 2 years is good.
- Cervical cancer test – this is the Pap smear, which should be done every 3 years.
- Colorectal cancer screening – should be done once you reach age 50. Consider either a) colonoscopy which is done every 10 years, b) a stool test which is done yearly, or c) a sigmoidoscopy which is done every five years and then the stool test every 3 years.
Now that you know what needs to be done – take these 6 Steps to Good Health and please don’t wait any longer to call your physician.