6 Tests That Every Dad Must Take To Remain Healthy
Admit it, guys: You don’t even like going to the doctor when there’s
something wrong, let alone for preventative check-ups. But being
proactive about your health—by getting recommended screenings for
serious conditions and diseases—could mean you’ll spend less time at the
doctor’s office down the road.
Depending on age, family history, and lifestyle factors, people need different tests at different times in their lives. Here’s a good overview for all men to keep in mind.
Blood Pressure check: Blood pressure is a silent killer flowing through his arteries and it generally develops after the age of 40. If undetected and controlled it can fail his kidneys or get him a heart attack. A BP check will tell you whether he is hypertensive and that his heart is working overtime (score of 140/90 or more)
Cholesterol Test: As men get older, their arteries become narrower and harder and have more heart attacks than women. Your doctor will be able to find out the ratio of LDL (bad cholesterol) to HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides (dangerous fats) in his blood. A score of 3 or above means his cardiovascular system is at risk.
Diabetes Test: Asian men are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes because their body metabolism is similar to obese people. Approx 30 million males in India are at risk with this epidemic and your father could be in this list. Left untreated, diabetes can put him to health risks like blindness, stroke, kidney failure, and heart attack. Bear in mind that he may be showing no symptoms at all but this test is a must.
Colonoscopy: Colon cancer, despite its high incidence in India, is the most treatable form of cancer if detected early. If your father is regular smoker or drinker, he may be at risk with colorectal cancer (CRC) which is the third most common cancer worldwide. Poor diet during work and travel, lifestyle habits combined with some hereditary factors might be putting him at risk. A colonoscopy test has a 90% chances of cure in first stage as compared to 30% in terminal stage (stage 4)
Prostate check: You may dismiss it as an old man's illness but remind yourself that if screened early your chances of living to be a healthy old man increases dramatically. All men have a 1 in 8 chance of overall lifetime risk with prostate. This test is usually combined with rectal check and is recommended around the age of 40 with a frequency of 1 per year.
Body Mass Index: You don’t need to make an appointment to figure out your body mass index, a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. Regardless of whether you calculate this stat yourself or your physician does the math for you, it’s important to be aware of this number, says Dr. Polsley.
A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight. Although this calculation isn’t perfect—and can sometimes label healthy people as overweight or vice versa—most doctors agree that it’s still an important component of assessing overall health. “It can be a very good opportunity to discuss diet and exercise, and to show our patients how important these things are,” Dr. Polsley says.
There are other vital checks that have not made it to the list for the simple reason of incidence and likely risk on health but are important too. They include :
Depending on age, family history, and lifestyle factors, people need different tests at different times in their lives. Here’s a good overview for all men to keep in mind.
Blood Pressure check: Blood pressure is a silent killer flowing through his arteries and it generally develops after the age of 40. If undetected and controlled it can fail his kidneys or get him a heart attack. A BP check will tell you whether he is hypertensive and that his heart is working overtime (score of 140/90 or more)
Cholesterol Test: As men get older, their arteries become narrower and harder and have more heart attacks than women. Your doctor will be able to find out the ratio of LDL (bad cholesterol) to HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides (dangerous fats) in his blood. A score of 3 or above means his cardiovascular system is at risk.
Diabetes Test: Asian men are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes because their body metabolism is similar to obese people. Approx 30 million males in India are at risk with this epidemic and your father could be in this list. Left untreated, diabetes can put him to health risks like blindness, stroke, kidney failure, and heart attack. Bear in mind that he may be showing no symptoms at all but this test is a must.
Colonoscopy: Colon cancer, despite its high incidence in India, is the most treatable form of cancer if detected early. If your father is regular smoker or drinker, he may be at risk with colorectal cancer (CRC) which is the third most common cancer worldwide. Poor diet during work and travel, lifestyle habits combined with some hereditary factors might be putting him at risk. A colonoscopy test has a 90% chances of cure in first stage as compared to 30% in terminal stage (stage 4)
Prostate check: You may dismiss it as an old man's illness but remind yourself that if screened early your chances of living to be a healthy old man increases dramatically. All men have a 1 in 8 chance of overall lifetime risk with prostate. This test is usually combined with rectal check and is recommended around the age of 40 with a frequency of 1 per year.
Body Mass Index: You don’t need to make an appointment to figure out your body mass index, a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. Regardless of whether you calculate this stat yourself or your physician does the math for you, it’s important to be aware of this number, says Dr. Polsley.
A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight. Although this calculation isn’t perfect—and can sometimes label healthy people as overweight or vice versa—most doctors agree that it’s still an important component of assessing overall health. “It can be a very good opportunity to discuss diet and exercise, and to show our patients how important these things are,” Dr. Polsley says.
There are other vital checks that have not made it to the list for the simple reason of incidence and likely risk on health but are important too. They include :
- eye check (for glaucoma),
- waist check (for obesity),
- mental health check (for depression,
- sleeplessness etc).
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