Essential medical tests for women in their 40s

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Le Khac Hieu - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
The age of 40 is the ideal time to assess your current health conditions, thereby helping to change past negative habits and maintain a healthy body in the coming years. life.
Here are the basic medical tests for women in their 40s.

1. Check blood sugar

Excessive consumption of unhealthy foods, such as: Hot dogs, chips, soda; Accompanied by weight gain due to hormone changes, the body's pancreas has to work overtime. This condition, if not improved soon, can lead to diabetes.
Health care professionals recommend that people over 45 years of age have their fasting blood sugar tested, and tested every three years. In certain cases, your doctor may ask you to test your blood sugar earlier, or more often, depending on your health risk factors.

2. Breast examination and mammogram

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Therefore, regular breast examination is an extremely important thing to detect cancer early and have timely treatment. In particular, women aged 40 and over should do regular breast self-exams at home, or go for a breast exam once a year.
For at-home breast self-exams, you should watch for signs of breast changes, such as: Differences in shape, size, or presence of any rash or lumps any tumor inside the breast or not.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women after age 40 also have a mammogram to screen for breast cancer. In Vietnamese people because of dense breast tissue, screening tests often combine mammography and breast ultrasound. Tests may be done once a year, or every other year.

3. Check your blood pressure

For a healthy person, normal systolic blood pressure is less than 120 and normal diastolic blood pressure is less than 80.
If blood pressure is elevated, where systolic blood pressure ranges from 120-129 , and diastolic blood pressure less than 80; You should have your blood pressure checked about every 3-6 months.
If you have stage 1 hypertension (130-139/89-90), you should change to a healthier lifestyle and schedule a follow-up visit in 3-6 months.
People with stage 2 hypertension (140/90, even higher) may need medication to control blood pressure levels, and are usually re-examined after a month.

4. Check cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is a type of fat, produced by the body's liver. You can get more cholesterol through certain foods, including animals.
However, if the body has too much cholesterol, it will accumulate in the walls of the arteries, causing atherosclerosis, narrowing the arteries and making it harder for blood to flow.
According to statistics, more than 71 million adults in the US have high cholesterol levels, one of the leading factors leading to heart attacks or strokes. To know the exact level of cholesterol in the body, you need to perform a blood cholesterol test under the direction of a specialist.
If LDL cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein - bad cholesterol) is 190 mg/dL or higher increases the risk of heart disease, and the patient should be treated aggressively, including dietary changes, lifestyle, or use statin therapy.
Doctors usually recommend that adults over the age of 20 have their cholesterol checked about every 5 years. In addition, people at risk or with a family history of heart disease should also have their cholesterol levels checked more often.

5. Check the weight

Being overweight, or obese, has a very serious effect on overall health, especially for women over the age of 40. Excess fat cells, along with a number of other hormones, can lead to inflammation and a number of other chronic diseases, including: Diabetes, or heart disease...
In addition, obesity causes more stress on bones, joints, and other organs of the body, causing them to work harder than usual. For adults, obesity is usually defined based on body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is > 30, you are already obese. To improve your weight, you should follow a healthy diet with lots of green vegetables, low in fat, and limit processed foods.

6. Pelvic Examination and Pap Test

Women after age 40 still need to have regular pelvic exams and Pap tests, especially those who are sexually active. These tests not only help protect you from dangerous cancers, but also prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Pap test will be an effective measure to help screen cervical cancer early in women. The frequency of Pap smears will be determined by the doctor's orders.

7. Skin test

Dermatologists generally recommend that women get a skin check-up at least once a year. Long-term darkening of the skin can lead to skin cancer. Fortunately, most skin cancers are curable.
However, you should still have regular skin checks if you notice any unusual signs on your skin, such as moles, or other changes.

8. Eye exam

You should have regular eye exams every 1-2 years until age 60. This helps detect common eye problems early, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.
The frequency of eye exams may be more frequent if you are someone with vision problems or risk factors for eye problems.

9. Vaccination

You should consult your doctor about whether you should get a tetanus, white blood cell, pertussis, or pneumonia vaccine. Also, most adults should get a seasonal flu shot in the late fall.

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Reference source: webmd.com