Men’s Health Checklist: 10 Vital Health Checkups for Men

Spotting the signs of certain health conditions early, when they are easiest to cure, is key to helping men stay healthy. Therefore, no one should postpone all the examinations recommended by the doctor in time.

Here’s everything you need to know about 10 essential health tests for men, including when to take them.

1. Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked should be screened for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to assess the presence, size, and extent of an aortic aneurysm. The most serious complication of this protruding aorta is rupture, which can lead to severe or fatal internal bleeding.

2. Blood cholesterol

All men over the age of 35 should have their blood cholesterol levels checked regularly. People who smoke, are overweight or obese, have a relative who had a heart attack before age 50, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of heart disease should have a cholesterol test before the age of 20. Cholesterol can be measured in several ways, all of which are important in estimating heart disease risk.

3. Blood pressure (BP)

All men should have their blood pressure checked regularly, and those with additional cardiovascular risk factors should have their blood pressure checked more frequently. This process can be carried out in your doctor’s office. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease and a major risk factor for a variety of other serious health issues.

4. Colon cancer

All men should be screened for colorectal cancer (colon or rectum) before age 50. A colonoscopy should be done much sooner if you have a family history of colon cancer. Although there are a variety of tests that can help detect colon cancer, colonoscopy remains the gold standard.

5. Depressed mood

Don’t put your sanity on the back burner. About six million men suffer from depression every year, and many of them go undiagnosed and untreated. If you have any of the following symptoms for more than two weeks, talk to your doctor about screening for depression.

▪ Significant changes in appetite or sleep patterns
▪ Loss of enthusiasm for previously enjoyable activities
▪ Do you feel helpless, out of place, restless, angry, unhappy or scared? ▪ Lack of energy and motivation.
▪ Inappropriate feelings of guilt
▪ problems concentrating or thinking
▪ Get help right away if you have persistent thoughts of death or suicide.

6. Diabetes

Men who have high blood pressure or are taking blood pressure medication should be evaluated for diabetes (high blood sugar). Anyone with chronic intense thirst, frequent urination, sudden weight loss, increased appetite, or tingling in the hands or feet should see their doctor for testing. A blood test that measures your average blood sugar over the past three months is the diabetes screening test of choice.

7. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)

If a man was born between 1945 and 1965, was born to a mother infected with the virus, needed dialysis for kidney failure, received a blood transfusion before 1992, received clotting factors before 1987, or was injected with drugs, he should have a blood test for hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is the prevailing and predominant cause of liver cancer in the United States.

8.AIDS

Regardless of the perceived dangers, all men under the age of 65 should be tested for HIV. Men over 65 should talk to their doctor about screening.

9. Obesity

Calculating your body mass index (BMI) using a BMI calculator is often a reliable, but not definitive, indicator of your healthy weight. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy, but a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. If your BMI is high, your doctor may use one or more methods to determine whether you are overweight or obese. Measure the waist circumference; Use calipers to determine skinfold thickness on the hip and calculate body fat percentage. or use bioelectrical impedance to measure body fat percentage by passing a safe dose of electricity through the body.

10. Prostate Cancer

Recommendations for prostate cancer screening, particularly PSA screening, vary widely among healthcare professionals. To find out what’s best for you, talk to your doctor about the benefits and dangers of screening tests. Patients who choose triage usually have two tests:

The doctor inserts a finger into the rectum to check for any growths or enlargements in the prostate.

PSA test: The PSA test examines levels of a protein made by the prostate in the blood, which may be elevated in men with prostate cancer.