Regular health screenings can be crucial for sustaining your body’s health, especially for men over 40. Health tests detect problems at an early stage, leading to easier treatment or prevention when applicable.

Many people ignore health screenings, but the purpose of having yearly health checks is to help you identify diseases before they become severe. Here are a list of seven health tests men should have every year after 40, to make sure you live a life free of all things sickness or disease.

Blood Pressure Testing

Blood pressure, or Hypertension, is a common fate for many men over 40. Hypertension lurks inside your body without symptoms and can lead to serious diseases of the heart, kidneys, and stroke upon your body.

Getting your blood pressure checked once a year helps monitor your heart health; this is a quick and easy test that will recognize risks ahead of time that can allow your body time for a lifestyle change or treatment, if needed.

Cholesterol Testing (Lipid Profile)

A Lipid Profile checks your level of cholesterol; an important measure are your levels of HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. High levels of LDL can block arteries, thus increasing the chances of heart attacks or strokes.

Yearly cholesterol checks will help you learn more about your levels and lets you manage them through diet, exercise, or medication before heart complications occur!

Diabetes Screening

Type 2 diabetes commonly affects the middle-aged male; it often develops without any symptoms. It is best to catch diabetes and prediabetes early through fasting blood glucose and HbA1c.

Once detected early, type 2 diabetes is often first treated with dietary changes, exercise, or medication. Treating it early prevents or lowers the frequency of major complications, such as neuropathy, blindness, and cardiopathy.

Prostate Cancefr Screening (PSA Test)

The PSA test detects changes in the prostate gland; it may indicate the prostate cancer at the earliest stage when it is most amenable to treatment. Men aged above 40 can consider the PSA test every year, having weighed the risks and benefits with their physician. However, family history of prostate cancer or being of African descent should prompt having the PSA test yearly from age 40 onwards.

Liver Function Test (LFT)

The main function of this blood-test is to detect any liver problem including fatty liver disease and liver injury due to alcohol intake or adverse effect of drugs. People should attend liver function tests annually to detect those first signs of stress on their liver that need intervention to protect your liver from future serious harm.

Increasing Awareness about Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is a significant concern for men, but early detection essentially saves lives. Most men 45 years and older should be receiving a yearly stool test like a FIT test or a gFOBT test to look for hidden blood that might be a sign of colon cancer.

Men may also need to receive a colonoscopy starting at age 45 or earlier if they are part of a high risk group. But annual stool tests are key for ongoing monitoring.

Eye Exams

As the years pass by, the signs of vision problems such as glaucoma or cataracts can develop. A yearly appointment with your eye doctor can ensure your eye health is assessed, and identify serious issues before they become problematic and preventable vision loss.

When you have your eyes checked year on year, you can always be assured that your vision is clear, and you have caught problems before they become serious.

By monitoring your health status through yearly health screenings, you will not only become more aware of your health, but it is a smart thing for any man over the age of 40 to do.

Identification of these issues at an initial stage will only increase the efficacy of the treatment you can receive. As always, discuss any health, diet, fitness, or related change with your doctor first.

Also Read: Can A Tequila Shot Be Healthy? Here’s What Science Says

Disclaimer: This document is for educational purposes, and should not be considered individual advice. Consult your doctor for personal medical advice before making diet or fitness changes, or deciding to lose weight.

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