Back-to-Basics Health Guide

Your man doesn’t need a battery of tests every year to stay healthy says Rick Kellerman, M.D. professor and chair at the department of family and community medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.
    
“A smattering of testing has never been shown to be effective for early detection of disease,” he says. “Getting lots of tests really doesn’t matter that much, as they could set doctors off on the wrong direction, and too many [tests] can waste time and money— and they often don’t even help.” It’s better to make sure that the man in your life has these three things in order: knowing his blood pressure, knowing his cholesterol levels, and keeping his weight under control.
    
Taking care of these three things is important, but what tends to be more crucial is having a trusted physician looking after all of your health care and advising you. “You need to have a family physician that knows you and your family history and can make individual recommendations for you,” Kellerman says. A family doctor is able to tailor your treatment and offer preventative medicine—you might only need to go in for check-ups every two years if your doc thinks you are healthy enough, or if your risk factors are high, he might need to see you every month.
    
Though, as your man ages, there is one test that is universally recommended, Kellerman says. He should get a colon cancer screening at age 50—after skin cancers, colon cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. The tests are usually either a colonoscopy or an inexpensive take-home fecal blood test, says Kellerman. Prostate exams are also important, but there are some caveats that your man should be aware of:
    
Prostate cancer is oftentimes very slow growing and “therapy has many potential complications (urinary incontinence, impotence, bleeding, even death); physicians and patients must balance the risk and benefits of screening.” Have him sit down with his doctor and discuss the risks and benefits of prostrate cancer treatment. “What might be right for one patient may not be right for another based on the patient’s preferences, age, life goals, risk factors, etc.”, says Kellerman.
    
Whatever your man’s age or risk factors, get him to a doctor, and set up a regular schedule with the same doctor. Make it a habit he can’t break, and your long healthy life together will be the only reward you’ll need.