Your Health Maintenance Checklist

Like any machine, the human body requires regular maintenance for optimal performance and longevity. Over the ensuing months, we will provide down-and-dirty health tips to keep your engine running smoothly for years to come. For the first installment of your body’s owner’s manual, here is your health-maintenance checklist:

  • Balanced diet and the use of supplements
  • Daily exercise
  • Yearly blood count, chemistry, and lipid panels
  • Colonoscopy starting at age 50
  • Yearly skin exams
  • Thyroid and other hormonal testing as indicated
  • Gender-specific cancer screening (prostate testing, mammogram, pap smear)

Recommendations for all of these items can vary. Each month, we will delve into the details of two or three on the list and help separate myth from fact.