As we explore life after 50, one of the things we have more of to deal with is preventative care. Preventative care is different for men than for women so I will do these in two separate post. Preventative care for men over 50, Includes colonoscopy(newest recommendation is age 45), prostate exams, lab work, AAA, skin cancer screening and others.
Colonoscopy: At age 45 is recommended for first colonoscopy. Then if normal every ten years, unless something happens that requires earlier check. You have options, you could do nothing, occult stool cards, small bowel follow through. However, if any positives…. colonoscopy is recommended. Colonoscopy is the gold standard. Getting a visual of the lining of the large intestine (colon). Most insurances are covering the cost, check with yours to see what is covered.
There are many results that might be found, I will discuss the common ones.
Normal: speaks for itself.
Hemorrhoids: small “skin tag” looking areas. Normally benign but can be painful. Can have blood clots in them requiring them to be lanced (opened).
Diverticulosis: small out pouching of the colon. Usually benign, but if they get irritated, can become infected, causing pain and illness. Requiring a visit to primary care and or emergent care. They can bleed which can be an emergency. Special diets help to keep these from becoming irritated.
Polyps: these can be benign, precancerous or cancerous. Depending on the number and what category they fall within depends on what follow up is needed.
Colonoscopies are normally recommended every 10 years if normal starting at age 50, unless you have a first degree relative who has colon cancer then it is suggested 10 years prior to when they were diagnosed if that is before age 50. Follow ups depend on the initial screening. Recommendation from the American Cancer Society here.
Prostate exam: This is a rectal exam, normally completed in primary care office. The prostate can be felt. The primary care provider is feeling for firmness, bumps, size. Results can be normal, large, boggy. Labs are often drawn to obtain prostate specific antigen normal is less than 4. It is also monitored from year to year if the number doubles in one year it is concerning. The CDC recommendations can be found here.
Labs: your doctor may have already started with initial labs, checking your complete blood count, cholesterol, kidney and liver function, and blood sugar. You can look here to find why labs are ordered and normal values.
Blood pressure: as we age many adults have high blood pressure it is a good idea to monitor this at least yearly. If you see a monitor at your local store, go ahead and measure your blood pressure. Write down the numbers, or put them in your smart phone note pad so that you can go back and look at them. While many factors go into your blood pressure, the old 120/80 or lower is still a good number to by, however talk with your primary care provider to find out what the optimal blood pressure is for you. Hypertension/high blood pressure is called the silent killer. It can be causing problems before you realize you have high blood pressure.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): Screening is an ultrasound of your abdomen. Men age 65 or older are at a higher risk for AAA. The issue is that if you have one it needs to be monitored as there are not symptoms until it is a big problem, at times requiring emergent surgery. You can find the recommendations according to medicare here.
Skin Cancer Screenings: It is suggested to have a screening yearly. Most primary care providers do this when you have your yearly physical. You can also have these at a dermatologist office. The recommendations from the American cancer society can be found here.
While it easy to skip screenings and preventive care I challenge you to keep up to date on your screenings. Talk with your primary care provider to see what all screenings you need.45