Has your wife or mother been nagging you to get a health checkup done? Guess what, women are right (as it often happens)! Prevention is better than cure. Here are 4 important reasons why every man needs to go for regular health screening: - Discover any current medical problems
- Determine the risk of developing medical issues in the future
- Find out areas you need to work on
- Get to know if you need to catch up on any vaccinationsDr. Peeyush Jain, Director & Head of Department, Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiology, Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute says, "Performing the same screening tests on all people and performing them frequently, may not be the most effective approach to disease prevention. Rather, both the frequency and the content of periodic health examination should be based on the unique health risk of an individual."
Frequency of Health Checks
Dr Peeyush Jain suggests, "American Heart Association lays down certain norms for evaluation of the heart health for healthy adults. According to these, the apparently healthy adults should have a comprehensive health checkup at least once in 5 years between the age 20 and 60 years, beginning at 20. After 60 years, a thorough evaluation is advisable every two and a half years. And an annual checkup is recommended after 75 years of age. Brief assessment of health status should be performed between two comprehensive evaluations."
In addition to preventive health screening, some basic lifestyle changes will go a long way in achieving and maintaining your health goals.
Stop Smoking: Just STOP, ask your doctors help if you need support. Nutrition Matters: Eating healthy is not so difficult. Know your servings for a complete meal plan.
Balanced diet for Adults-Sedentary/Moderate/Heavy activity(Number of portion). Source:Dietary Guidelines for Indians, NIN, ICMR 2011Watch your weight: This is the simplest indicator for risks of a number of medical problems. Next time your clothes get tighter, dont change your wardrobe, lose the inches.Exercise: The benefits of a 30-45 minutes workout is immense. Choose a sport if going for a jog or walk doesnt interest you. Walk your pet, climb the stairs, limit TV time, put on some music and dance! Just move it. Exercise is known to be beneficial for not just your heart but may also lower your risk for some type of cancers.Limit alcohol: High amount and length of time of alcohol consumption could be detrimental for your blood pressure and put you at risk for certain cancers. Moderation is the key, 2 drinks a day for men below 65 and one drink for those above 65. However, this is not a prescription.Manage Stress: If you feel stressed constantly, your healthy life style goals may suffer. Stress also weakens the immune system. Learn to deal with daily life situations, take regular vacations and some-me- time off. Get help if required.Take your health in your own hands, just reading and knowing is not enough, you have to DO it. Start now, you just might surprise yourself with what you gain.
- Determine the risk of developing medical issues in the future
- Find out areas you need to work on
- Get to know if you need to catch up on any vaccinationsDr. Peeyush Jain, Director & Head of Department, Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiology, Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute says, "Performing the same screening tests on all people and performing them frequently, may not be the most effective approach to disease prevention. Rather, both the frequency and the content of periodic health examination should be based on the unique health risk of an individual."
Frequency of Health Checks
Dr Peeyush Jain suggests, "American Heart Association lays down certain norms for evaluation of the heart health for healthy adults. According to these, the apparently healthy adults should have a comprehensive health checkup at least once in 5 years between the age 20 and 60 years, beginning at 20. After 60 years, a thorough evaluation is advisable every two and a half years. And an annual checkup is recommended after 75 years of age. Brief assessment of health status should be performed between two comprehensive evaluations."
In addition to preventive health screening, some basic lifestyle changes will go a long way in achieving and maintaining your health goals.Stop Smoking: Just STOP, ask your doctors help if you need support. Nutrition Matters: Eating healthy is not so difficult. Know your servings for a complete meal plan.
Balanced diet for Adults-Sedentary/Moderate/Heavy activity(Number of portion). Source:Dietary Guidelines for Indians, NIN, ICMR 2011Watch your weight: This is the simplest indicator for risks of a number of medical problems. Next time your clothes get tighter, dont change your wardrobe, lose the inches.Exercise: The benefits of a 30-45 minutes workout is immense. Choose a sport if going for a jog or walk doesnt interest you. Walk your pet, climb the stairs, limit TV time, put on some music and dance! Just move it. Exercise is known to be beneficial for not just your heart but may also lower your risk for some type of cancers.
Limit alcohol: High amount and length of time of alcohol consumption could be detrimental for your blood pressure and put you at risk for certain cancers. Moderation is the key, 2 drinks a day for men below 65 and one drink for those above 65. However, this is not a prescription.Manage Stress: If you feel stressed constantly, your healthy life style goals may suffer. Stress also weakens the immune system. Learn to deal with daily life situations, take regular vacations and some-me- time off. Get help if required.Take your health in your own hands, just reading and knowing is not enough, you have to DO it. Start now, you just might surprise yourself with what you gain. Advertisement