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"  Heart Health   BLOOD PRESSURE  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: At least every two years. Details: Get checked by your doc. Over-the-counter wrist and finger monitors aren&amp;#039;t the most accurate for diagnosing high blood pressure.   CHOLESTEROL  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Blood test every five years if normal, more frequently if not. Details: Get total cholesterol number and HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.  Eyes, Teeth   EYE EXAM  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Every two to three years if normal; every one to two years after age 40. Details: Not just for eyeglasses; checks if you&amp;#039;re at risk for cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Can also reveal increased pressure in the brain, caused by bleeding, tumors and more.  TEETH  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: One to two times a year. Details: Exam is about more than cavities. Dentists check for oral cancer and gum disease (which can be a harbinger of heart disease and pregnancy problems).  Cancer   CLINICAL BREAST EXAM  What Age: Start at age 25. How Often: Every one to three years until age 40, then every year. Details: Breast check by your health practitioner.  MAMMOGRAM  What Age: 40s, 50+ How Often: Every year. Details: If you&amp;#039;re under 50 and/or have dense breasts, ask for a digital mammogram, which detects more tumors than traditional film mammograms. Many insurance companies cover a baseline mammogram in your 30s, though it&amp;#039;s not clear whether that helps with cancer detection later on.  SKIN-CANCER CHECK  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Self check monthly; doc check every three years until age 40, then every year. Details: Keep track of your self-checks with a mole map like the one on mdanderson.org  CHECKS FOR OTHER CANCERS  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Every three years until age 39, then every year. Details: Visual/Manual check for signs of cancers of thyroid, lymph glands, mouth, and skin as part of regular physical exam. Colon-cancer screenings start at age 50 (45 for African-Americans.)  Sexual Health   CHLAMYDIA  What Age: Anyone who is sexually active. How Often: Every year for women under age 25; repeat annually if you have new sexual partners. Details: A swab test detects this common STD that can cause fertility problems and pelvic pain.  HIV  What Age: If you have unprotected sex at any age. How Often: Before having sex with someone new, four to six weeks after unprotected sex, and again six months later. Details: New rapid tests swab your cheek (no needles), and results are ready in 20 minutes. They&amp;#039;re 97 to 99 percent accurate though you need to get a blood test to verify a positive result.  HPV-DNA  What Age: 30s, 40s, 50+ (20s if you have an abnormal Pap) How Often: Every year. If HPV and Pap are normal, repeat both every three years. Details: With a sample collected on a swab, this test looks for 13 strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) associated with cervical cancer. Get this test even if you&amp;#039;ve had the HPV vaccine.  PAP  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Repeat every year; after three consecutive negative Paps in your 30s, you can test every two to three years. Details: Ask for a liquid based cytology test (ThinPrep or SurePath) \u2013 the better sample can eliminate the need for immediate retesting (the test feels the same; the change is on the slide). You need a Pap even if you&amp;#039;ve had the HPV vaccine.  PELVIC EXAM  What Age: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50+ How Often: Every year. Details: Checks for infections, some STDs, growths, cysts, and to see if you need additional test for ovarian cancer.  Diabetes   BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST  What Age: Start at age 45; 25 if your insurance covers it. How Often: Every three years if normal, more frequently if levels are above normal. Details: Ask for a fasting blood-sugar test (it&amp;#039;s a blood test). Get clarity on your results; even if you don&amp;#039;t have diabetes, you may have pre-diabetes, which may be reversed with lifestyle changes.   Hormones   THYROID FUNCTION  What Age: Before pregnancy. How Often: Do what your insurance will cover. Details: Blood test checks for low or high thyroid levels. Test if you have symptoms like low energy, weight gain, or hair loss. Since many women don&amp;#039;t have symptoms, some docs say every woman should be tested, at least before pregnancy. Get it if your insurance will pay.   HIGH-RISK RULES  Start testing sooner if you&amp;#039;re at above-average risk for these medical conditions:   LOW BONE DENSITY:  Get a bone scan every two years starting now if you&amp;#039;ve taken a glucocorticoid drug (like Prednisone) for two months or more. (Otherwise, get one at 50+.)   BREAST CANCER:   If you have a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) who has had breast cancer, get a clinical breast exam every three to six months and an annual mammogram starting 10 years earlier than your relative&amp;#039;s age at cancer diagnosis. Ask your doctor about adding an MRI.   COLON CANCER:   Colonoscopy every five years starting at age 40, or younger if a first-degree relative had colon cancer or a polyp before age 60.   DIABETES:   Annual blood-sugar test starting at age 30 if you&amp;#039;re overweight and have/had any of these: polycystic ovarian syndrome, family history, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides, or are of African, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native American descent.   OVARIAN CANCER:   Transvaginal ultrasound plus a CA-125 blood test starting between 30 and 35 if you have genetic risk (mutated BRCA1 or other ovarian-cancer gene). Start between 35 and 40 if you have a mutated BRCA2 gene.   SKIN CANCER:   Consult a dermatologist about a screening schedule if you have a family history of melanoma in two or more blood relatives, multiple unusual moles, or actinic keratoses\u2014gray to pink scaly skin patches. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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