Contents

Introduction

What You Can Do To Stay Healthy

Ask Your Doctor About Checkups, Tests, and Shots You Need

For More Information

Personal Prevention Charts

About This Guide

This guide describes ways that people aged 50 and older can stay healthy. It gives information on:

 Living habits that have been proven to help prevent certain diseases and conditions.

 Screening tests to catch conditions or diseases early, when they can be treated more easily.

 Immunizations (shots) that have been proven to be effective in preventing diseases.

The recommendations in this guide are based on research reviewed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of private sector health experts convened by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research).

How This Guide Is Organized

This guide:

 Explains why adopting certain healthy habits, such as eating right, can help you. It also explains why you should get certain screening tests or checkups.

 Suggests how you can improve your health habits. It also recommends how often you need certain screening tests, checkups, or shots.

 Presents questions to ask your doctor.

 Provides charts for keeping track of your health care.

 Lists organizations that give more health information.

How To Take Part in Staying Healthy

This booklet will help guide you in working with your doctor, nurse, or other health professional to stay healthy. It gives you guidelines for how often you may need a specific screening test or exam. But because people have different needs, you need to work with your doctor to discuss which screening tests and shots are right for you and when you need them. That is why many sections in this booklet suggest you ask your doctor questions. For example, women aged 50 and older should have a mammogram every 1-2 years. But if your mother or sister had breast cancer, you may need a mammogram more often.

In addition to asking your doctor when you need a certain test, you should ask such questions as:

 Why do I need this test?

 How will I benefit from this test?

 Should I have the test done again? If so, why and when?

How To Use This Guide

You can use this guide to:

1. Learn what you can do to stay healthy.
2. Find out which screening tests you need and how often you need them. Ask why a test is needed and how it can help you.
3. Get ideas for questions to discuss with your doctor or other health professional.
4. Keep track of your health care by using the personal prevention charts at the end of this booklet. You may want to bring this booklet with you every time you see a doctor or other health professional and fill it out before you leave the doctor's office.
5. Learn about other places to find health information.

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