Men's Health Examination Checklist
You've probably checked the oil in your car and the stock prices of your investments, but have you checked your health lately?
Our Men's Health Examination Checklist combines screening information from the Mayo Clinic and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Screening tests can find diseases early when they are easier to treat. This timetable is a general recommendation - your doctor may suggest different tests or frequencies based on your medical history. A preventive health plan should also include talking with your doctor about alcohol and drug use, smoking cessation, nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
| SCREENING | BEGINNING AGE | HOW OFTEN |
| Blood pressure | 18 years | Yearly |
| Cholesterol levels | 20 years | Every 5 years |
| Colon examination | 50 years (possibly earlier if a family history is present) | Varies depending on the type of exam. See below for further details |
| Prostate examination | 50 years(the recommended age for African American males and men with a family history of prostate cancer is 40 years) | Yearly |
| Testicular examination | 15 years | Monthly by self examination and yearly by a medical professional |
| Skin examination | 20 years | Yearly |
| Dental examination | 18 years | Yearly |
| Eye examination | 18 years | At least once between 18 and 29; Twice between 30 and 39; Every 2 to 4 years between 40 and 64; every 1 to 2 years after age 65 |
| Sexually Transmitted Infections | As directed by your doctor | As directed by your doctor |
| Diabetes | 45 years (or earlier if overweight and have additional risk factors such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, vascular disease, physically inactivity, or a family history of diabetes. High risk ethnic groups such as African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, or Pacific Islanders should also be screened before age 45.) | Every 3 years (higher risk individuals should be screened more frequently) |
| Weight | 18 years | Every 6 months |
Blood Pressure
Monitoring blood pressure helps prevent heart attacks, strokes, and kidney damage. To measure your blood pressure, your healthcare provider will wrap an inflatable cuff around your arm. As the air is slowly released from the cuff he will use a stethoscope to measure your systolic pressure (the pressure in your heart as it pumps blood) and your diastolic pressure (the pressure when your heart is at rest). Generally, a systolic pressure greater than 140 or a diastolic pressure above 90 is considered too high. If you have other health conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure goals are lower.
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Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that builds up inside blood vessels and contributes to the risk for heart attacks and strokes. A blood test can measure low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol. Total cholesterol levels should be below 200 mg/dL, with LDL levels below 130 mg/dL and HDL levels above 45 mg/dL. Triglyceride levels should be below 200 mg/dL. As with blood pressure, if you have other health conditions (for example, diabetes), your cholesterol goals will be lower.
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Colon Examination
Different screening tests can find cancer of the colon (large intestine). A flexible tube with a tiny camera on its end (endoscope) is inserted into the rectum and colon to look for lesions, polyps, or other problems. If your doctor is performing a sigmoidoscopy, he will examine the rectum and last 27 inches of the colon; if he is performing a colonoscopy, he will examine the entire rectum and colon. Another procedure that can be used to screen for colon cancer is an x-ray procedure known as a barium enema. A substance called barium, a solution of a metallic element, is injected into the colon through the rectum, allowing visualization of the colon on x-rays. Your doctor will determine which test is best for you based on your risk factors. The most recent medical guidelines suggest for those over 50 years of age:
- an annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT; a noninvasive blood test of a stool sample) and/or
- a flexible sigmoidoscopy at least every 5 years, or
- a colonoscopy every 10 years, or
- a double-contrast barium enema every 5 years
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Prostate Examination
A prostate examination involves a digital rectal examination (DRE) of your prostate. To perform a DRE, your doctor will insert his finger into your rectum to directly feel your prostate for any growths. A blood test called a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is also used. The PSA test measures a protein secreted by the prostate gland. High levels can indicate cancer or an enlarged or inflamed gland.
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Testicular Examination
Testicular cancer is the leading cancer in men ages 15 to 35 years. Monthly self-examinations can detect any unusual masses. If you are concerned, you should ask your doctor to check your testicles during routine a physical examination.
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Skin Examination
A head-to-toe examination of your skin, your body's largest organ, can detect skin cancer. Your doctor will be on the lookout for changes in the shape or color of moles or other lesions. In between visits to your doctor, you should perform regular self-examinations, especially if you have risk factors for skin cancer, such as repeated sun exposure.
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Dental Examination
A dentist can check your teeth for cavities and gums, tongue, lips, and soft tissues inside your mouth for other oral problems, such as gingivitis (gum disease).
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Eye Examination
During an eye examination, a doctor examines your eye movement, peripheral (side) vision, sharpness of vision, and pressure inside your eyeball. He can also determine if you need glasses or contacts. Eye examinations are important to identify glaucoma (increased eye pressure), cataracts (clouding of the eye lens), or macular degeneration (changes in the retina).
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Sexually Transmitted Infections
Tests for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are important if you are at risk. Talk to your doctor about which of these tests may be needed. You may be at risk if you have or have had multiple sexual partners or if you do not always practice safe sex (that is, using a latex condom).
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Diabetes
High glucose (sugar) levels in the blood can be an indication of diabetes. A fasting blood glucose test can be done to determine if you have diabetes. Diabetes is likely if the fasting glucose level is 126 mg/dL or greater, but the test should be repeated on a separate day to make sure you have diabetes unless absolute symptoms of diabetes are present. Alternatively, an oral glucose tolerance test can be performed to detect the presence of diabetes. If you have pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity, you should be regularly screened for diabetes.
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Weight
Your height and weight can be measured to determine your body mass index (BMI). If your calculated BMI is in the overweight (BMI 25-29 kg/m2) or obese (BMI greater than 30 kg/m2) range, then you are more likely to have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and are at greater risk for developing other diseases.
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References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Men: Stay healthy at any age. Available at: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm
Accessed April 13, 2006 and February 2008.
MayoClinic.com: Health screening guidelines. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-screening/WO00112
Accessed April 13, 2006 and February 2008.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Prostate cancer screening. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/decisionguide/
Accessed April 13, 2006 and February 2008.
American Cancer Society: American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_2_3X_ACS_Cancer_Detection_Guidelines_36.asp
Accessed February 2008.
National Cancer Institute: Testicular Cancer Screening. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/testicular/Patient/page2
Accessed April 13, 2006 and February 2008.
American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2006. Diabetes Care 2006; 29(suppl 1):s4-s42.
Checklist for Your Next Checkup. Available at: http://www.uabhealth.org/14823/ Accessed February 2008.
Last Updated: February 2008
This content was created by members of the DrugDigest team of experts and is solely under DrugDigest's editorial control.