Text Box: Another year has gone by and you are another year older. Your body just doesn’t feel the way it used to. When you wake up in the morning you notice pains where there were no pains before. Your back hurts, your muscles ache and you have no energy. While these aches, pains and lack of energy may be a normal part of getting older, they may also be signs of bad things to come. Maybe it is time for you to get a health exam from your physician. Why is it important to have regular health check-ups? Regular health exams serve as a way for physicians to prevent diseases before they happen. The health exam can be used to identify risk factors and detect diseases that have no apparent symptoms. Health exams also allow physicians to counsel people on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and what changes can be made to promote healthy behavior. They also can be used to enhance the relationship between you and your physician. What needs to be checked and how often? Most medical groups believe that health exams should be done yearly. Other medical groups feel that the frequency of health check-ups depends on you age, gender, family medical history, and personal medical history. Below are some general guidelines found at www.emedicine.com/aaem/topic101.htm to help you determine if it is time for a health exam from your physician. Men ages 19 to 39 · Yearly testicular exam · Every 5 years-Height, weight, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels Men ages 40 to 64 · Yearly testicular exam · Every 5 years-Height, weight, blood

Text Box: pressure, blood cholesterol, colon cancer screening Men age 65 and over · Every 1 to 2 years-Review of medications, height, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, colon cancer screening · Yearly vision and hearing testing after the age of 74 Women ages 19 to 39 · Every 3 to 5 years-Height, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, clinical breast exam, and pap smear Women ages 40 to 64 · Yearly breast exam · Every 3 to 5 years-Height, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, pap smear, mammogram, colon cancer screening Women age 65 and over · Every 1 to 2 years-Review of medications, height and weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, colon cancer screening · Yearly mammogram until the age of 75 · Yearly vision and hearing testing after the age of 74 Health exams serve as a great way for physicians to catch diseases before they happen. They can also be used to determine if you have risk factors that may predispose you to certain diseases in the future. Even if you are healthy, health check-ups can be a great way to enhance the relationship between you and your physician. The guidelines above can help you determine if it’s time for you to have a health exam or you can contact your local health care provider or visit www.aafp.org/PreBuilt/PHErev54.pdf for more information.

Is it Time for a Health Check-up?

Contributed by: Thane VanEaton, Pharm.D. Candidate

KU School of Pharmacy

Drink Water	2
What's On the Website?	3
Exercise	3
Osteoarthritis	4
Glaucoma	5
Thyroid Disorders	6
Birth Control	7
Birth Defects	8
Pharmacies	8

Our mission is to empower our patients with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions regarding their health and optimize the use of their medications through screenings, seminars, and consultations.

We will serve as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source by providing drug and health-related information in a confidential and professional manner.

Text Box: Co-edited by: Sarah Kerner, Pharm.D. Miranda Wilhelm, Pharm.D. Tammy Stack, Pharm.D.