"You’ll get old pretty young--if you don’t take care of yourself"
--Yogi Berra

• Testing finds early disease. Eating, exercise & immunizations prevent disease.
• Preventive Services Summary
  • Women: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthywom.htm
  • Men: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm & http://www.ahrq.gov/realmen/
• Importance of Healthy Habits: Women not smoking, eating healthfully, having normal weight, and active reduce death by 55 percent, cancer death by 44 percent and heart attack death by a 72 percent. Likely true for men. (http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619437)
• Nutrition: Two good choices: "South Beach" "The Omega Diet".
• Physical activity: Moderate intensity (slight breathing & heart rate increase) 30 minutes 5 days or high (large increase in breathing & heart rate) intensity 3 days a week. Being inactive is more harmful to you than smoking. (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/561348)
• Healthy Weight: BMI over 30 is unhealthy. (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi).
• Multivitamins, Minerals: Generic "Centrum" is a good guide. Buy "silver" if over 55yo.
• 3-4 fruits and 5-6 vegetables daily prevent heart disease, stroke, and many cancers.
• Females & Calcium: The daily requirement is 1200mg. Since the average diet has 600mg, add 600mg with calcium citrate, the best form--three tablets provide 600mg of calcium.
• Osteoporosis: Women begin bone calcium testing (densiometry) at 65yo. Before if menopausal, smoker, weight less than 127#, a parent or sibling with fracture after 45yo, not using hormone replacement, surgical or natural menopause before age 40 or significant chronic illness. (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd07/gcp2e.htm#Osteoporosis)
• Males & Calcium: 1000mg of calcium daily.
• Tobacco in any form is harmful.
• Caffeine: two per day is a sensible limit.
• Alcohol: Men above 14 per wk, 4 per occasion and women 7 per wk, 3 per occasion is risky.
• Muscle Loss: If we don't exercise with weights, we lose 3-5% of our muscle every 10 years. "Getting old" can be the loss of strength and stamina from inactivity.
• Sun protection prevents skin cancer. We should check any growing or changing spot.
• Hearing loss: Protect your ears from loud noises.
• Seat belts & Helmets: Wear them.
• West Nile: Use DEET containing repellant during mosquito season.
• Herbs and supplements change body chemistry just like prescriptions. They are manufactured and sold without proof of safety, effectiveness, or quality. They can harm. Used wisely, they are friends.
• Blood pressure over 120/80 is unhealthy, over 140/90 needs medication.
• Cholesterol: LDL is harmful and should be less than 100; HDL is healthy and should be greater than 45. Men test at 35yo, women at 45yo; at 20yo if high risk for heart disease. (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd07/gcp2a.htm#Lipid) 
• Colon Cancer--Male & Female: Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men & women and the second leading cause of cancer death. Begin checks at 50y/o. Of several proven effective methods, checking stool for blood is the simplest. If you have close family members with polyps and/or colon cancer, checking should start sooner. Vitamin D 1000iu daily reduces colon cancer by 50%. (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd07/gcp2.htm#Colorectal) (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/571201?src=mp&spon=34&uac=20177HN)
• Breast Cancer
  • Self breast exams is not proven useful. (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd07/gcp2.htm#BreastScreening)
  • Mammograms benefit women 50-75yo. Their value between 40-50 years is strongly questioned. (www.aafp.org/afp/20070601/editorials.html). They reduce breast cancer deaths 0.1%. If 2,000 women have yearly mammogram for 10 years, one woman will have her life prolonged, 10 healthy women will be treated unnecessarily for breast cancer, about 200 women will undergo psychological distress and additional testing due to falsely positive mammograms. (www.aafp.org/afp/20070901/cochrane.html#c1)
  • Uterine Cancer: begin exams when sexually active, then 1-3 years depending upon sexual practices. Can end at 65yo. (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd07/gcp2.htm#Cervical).
  • Prostate Cancer Checks--No
    • The American Cancer Society, "No major scientific or medical organization supports routine prostate cancer testing at this time." (Feb 08). High risk groups: Afro-American might consider at 45yo and men with father and brother(s) having cancer before 60yo should consider at 40yo. (http://www.aafp.org/afp/20090815/us.html)
  • Aortic Aneurysm Testing is advised for MEN at 65 years IF HE EVER SMOKED. (http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsaneu.htm)
  • Aspirin: One adult (325mg) ONLY for men & women who have had a stroke, TIA, heart attack or blood vessels disease. One baby (75mg) aspirin for women 55-79yo and men 45-79yo at high risk for heart attack and stroke AND low risk for bowel bleeding.  (http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsasmi.htm)
  • Immunizations:
    • Influenza shot each fall unless you are allergic to eggs. (www.immunize.org/vis/2flu.pdf)
    • Tetanus-Diphtheria-Whooping Cough (Tdap) every 10yrs. At 65yo then Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td). Whooping cough (pertussis) booster for adults began in 2005. This is especially important for adults around children. (www.immunize.org/vis/tdap.pdf)
    • Zostavax for 'shingles' is advised at 60yo. (www.immunize.org/vis/shingles.pdf)
    • Pneumovax advised at age 65 to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia. Earlier if you have chronic illness. (www.immunize.org/vis/pneum3.pdf)
    • Hepatitis B is recommended for health care workers, anyone with potential exposure to blood, intravenous drug users, people with multiple sexual partners, and household contacts or sexual partners of hepatitis B carriers. Available at Tri-County Health Dept 303-363-3042. (www.immunize.org/vis/hepb01.pdf)