Checklists Help
Men and Women Stay Healthy at 50-Plus
By Carolyn M.
Clancy, M.D.
August 5, 2008
As we get ready
to watch the upcoming Olympic Games, several
athletes in their 40s and 50s will be taking
part, including a 41-year-old U.S. swimmer and a
53-year-old Israeli marathoner.
These days, many
people over age 50 are staying fit, even if they
don’t plan to compete at an elite level. But
some men and women aren’t sure how they can take
care of themselves so they can stay healthy and
keep doing the activities they enjoy.
My Agency, the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ), and AARP developed
two new checklists that outline the steps
men and women over age 50 need to take to stay
healthy and prevent disease.
The checklists
are based on recommendations from the
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This is
an independent panel of experts in primary care
and prevention that reviews medical evidence to
determine which tests and medicines have
consistently been proven to work.
AHRQ and AARP,
the leading consumer group for people over age
50, worked together on this project for a simple
but important reason: the U.S. population is
getting older. In the next 10 years, 77 million
Baby Boomers will turn 65. As we get older, what
we need to do to stay healthy changes.
For both men and
women over 50, the daily steps to good health
are ones we’ve probably heard before. The
checklists remind us of these steps that have
been scientifically proven to work.
Men and women age
50 and older should make sure they:
- Are
tobacco free. Tobacco use is a
leading cause of heart disease and cancer.
For tips on how to quit, go to
resources that have helped other people
kick the habit.
- Stay
physically active. If you are not
active now, work up to 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity most days of the
week. Walking briskly, swimming, dancing,
and mowing the lawn are good examples of
moderate exercise.
- Eat
a healthy diet. Include generous
amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
and low-fat milk products in your daily
diet. Limit your intake of foods that are
high in fat, salt, and added sugar.
- Stay
at a healthy weight. Keep in mind
that the calories (or energy) you consume
must be burned off with activity so you
don’t gain weight. Check with your doctor if
you start to gain or lose weight, as this
can be a sign of a medical condition.
-
Drink alcohol moderately, if at all.
This means no more than one drink per day
for women and two for men. If you are older
than age 65, have no more than one drink per
day.
The checklists,
which are available in English and Spanish, can
be taken to medical appointments. In addition to
providing daily health steps, the checklists can
help you and your doctor talk about which
preventive screening tests you need.
Unlike diagnostic
tests, which help confirm if you have a disease,
screening tests are used to check for problems
before symptoms appear. Examples of preventive
screening tests that both men and women should
get after age 50 include those that check blood
pressure and cholesterol levels. Women should
get breast and cervical cancer screening tests,
and both men and women should be tested for
colorectal cancer.
The checklists
can help you keep track of the date and results
of your last screening tests, when you should
have the test next, and questions for your next
doctor visit.
Men and women
over age 50 should also discuss with their
doctor or nurse whether they need to take
medicines to stay healthy. For example, taking
an aspirin every day can prevent heart disease
in some men and stroke in some women.
As you watch
athletes in the Olympics compete for gold
medals, remember there are steps you can take to
stay healthy. The checklists for men and women
over 50 can help remind you of the simple steps
to follow to stay healthy for years to come.
I’m Dr. Carolyn
Clancy and that’s my advice on how to navigate
the health care system.
More Information
Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality
AHRQ and AARP Team to Help Adults Over 50
Stay Healthy
http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/ppip50pr.htm
Men: Stay
Healthy at 50-Plus: Checklists for Your Health
http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/men50.htm
Women: Stay
Healthy at 50-Plus: Checklists for Your Health
http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/women50.htm
Smokefree.gov
You Can Quit Smoking Now!
http://www.smokefree.gov/index.asp
U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force
Recommendations and more information
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm
Current as of August 2008
Internet
Citation:
Checklists Help Men and Women Stay Healthy
at 50-Plus. Navigating the Health Care
System: Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy,
August 5, 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cc/cc080508.htm
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