Screening tests and health counseling are a key part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help you reduce your risk of disease.
Below are guidelines for men ages 65 and older. Talk with your healthcare provider. Make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.
We understand gender is a spectrum. We may use gendered terms to talk about anatomy and health risk. Please use this information in a way that works best for you and your provider as you talk about your care.
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Screening
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Who needs it
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How often
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm
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Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Men in this age group who have never smoked could still be screened. This depends on their family history or other risk factors they may have.
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1-time ultrasound
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Unhealthy alcohol use
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All men in this age group
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At routine exams
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Blood pressure
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All men in this age group
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Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
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Colorectal cancer
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All men at average risk in this age group through age 75. For men ages 76 to 85, ask your healthcare provider if you need to keep screening. For men older than 85, screening is not advised.
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Talk with your healthcare provider about which test below is right for you:
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Colonoscopy every 10 years
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Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years (or every 10 years with yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) stool test)
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CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years
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Yearly fecal occult blood test
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Yearly FIT
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Stool DNA test every 1 to 3 years
If you have a test that is not a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need a colonoscopy.
You may need to be screened more or less often. This is based on personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Depression
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All men in this age group
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At routine exams
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Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
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All men up to age 70 who are overweight or obese
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At least every 3 years (yearly if your blood sugar has already begun to rise)
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Type 2 diabetes
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All men with prediabetes
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Every year
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Hepatitis C
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All men ages 18 to 79
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At routine exams. Ask your healthcare provider about how often you need to be screened based on your risk factors.
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High cholesterol or triglycerides
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All men in this age group
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At least every 5 years. Ask your healthcare provider about your risk factors.
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HIV
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Men at higher risk of infection
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At routine exams. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Lung cancer
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Men between the ages 50 and 80 who are in fairly good health and who:
Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scan (LDCT). Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors.
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Obesity
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All men in this age group
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At yearly routine exams
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Prostate cancer
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All men in this age group, talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of a digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening1
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At routine exams, if you decide to be tested
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Syphilis
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Men at higher risk of infection
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At routine exams. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Tuberculosis
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Men at higher risk of infection
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Talk with your healthcare provider
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Vision
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All men in this age group
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Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic health condition, ask your healthcare provider if you need exams more often.
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Health counseling
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Who needs it
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How often
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Diet and exercise
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All men in this age group
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At routine exams
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Fall prevention (exercise, vitamin D supplements)
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All men in this age group
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At yearly routine exams
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Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention
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Men at higher risk for infection
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At routine exams. Talk with your healthcare provider.
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Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause
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All men in this age group
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Every visit
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