By Dr. Ian Reinemeyer — Internal Medicine, Baylor Scott & White
Wellness visits are critical preventive care and important for health maintenance. Unfortunately, these visits are often overlooked or placed on the back burner because a majority of appointment visits are made to address acute concerns. At the age of 50, new wellness visit items are added to the yearly routine.
Colon cancer screening Unless there is a family history of colon cancer, routine colon cancer screening starts at the age of 50 and continues until age 75 for both men and women. A colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years, a sigmoidoscopy every five years, or a fecal occult blood test yearly. The colonoscopy evaluates the large bowel for polyps and is both diagnostic and potentially curative. The sigmoidoscopy evaluates only part of your large bowel.
Polyps are small growths in the bowel that can sometimes turn into cancer. These polyps can be removed during a colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. If a fecal occult test is positive, a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy would be required.
Immunizations Flu shot/Influenza: Should be received yearly around October. According to the Centers for Disease Control, at the peak of last year’s flu season, 10.8 percent of individuals infected with the flu had flu-associated death.
Shingles: It is recommended for people older than 50. It is a two-part series separated by two to six months. According to the Shingrix website, it has an efficacy of 90 percent. The shingles shot is recommended to prevent the development of shingles. Shingles is a painful, blistering rash. Unfortunately, some patients who develop shingles may develop ongoing or recurrent pain called herpetic neuralgia.
Pneumococcal: This is a two-part series separated by a year and is recommended at the age of 65. The goal of this immunization is to prevent a lung infection as we age. Some people, however, are candidates for this shot before 65. This includes diabetics, smokers, asthmatics, and immunosuppressed patients.
Mammograms Mammograms are recommended for women at the age of 50. The screening frequency depends on which guideline is used. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend yearly mammograms. The United States Preventative Task Services Task Force recommends screening every two years. Mammograms are performed to catch breast cancer early and improve outcomes through earlier management.
Cervical cancer screening For women who still have their cervix, cervical cancer screening is recommended every three years. This applies to women who are 30 and older until the age of 65 as long as their prior exams have been normal. Screening can be extended to every five years when screening is combined with human papillomavirus testing. The goal is to catch the signs of cervical cancer early and thus provide a leg up on treatment.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening is an ultrasound of the belly performed on men starting at the age of 65. It is performed only on men who have smoked. Men who smoke are at higher risk of developing an aneurysm, a weak aortic wall, and this screening is meant to catch a possible concern early. Intervention is recommended when an aneurysm is larger than 5.5 cm or changing rapidly.
These are just some of the screening options for individuals who are 50 and older. Consult your primary care physician for individualized screening and discussion of health care maintenance.
