| Do I need a Check-up? |
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A "medical check-up" has traditionally been considered the gold standard of good preventative medicine. Individuals felt that is was sufficient and complete if they had "gone to the doctor for my annual physical." But just what is a check-up exactly? And is it really beneficial??
Most major professional organizations, such as the US Preventative Services Task Force (which Health Butler surveys regularly as an authoritative source of evidence based health care recommendations), as well as the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians and the AMA, all discourage vague routine annual exams. Instead, the evidence supports a focused visit with emphasis on risk assessment and appropriate testing and intervention.
Just as an example, if you are a healthy 51 year old male smoker and your doctor listens to your heart and lungs, looks into your eyes, and checks your blood pressure, you might feel pretty satisfied with a good report. But if your dad had colon polyps at 45 and you don't get screened for colorectal cancer, your check-up has not helped prevent you from dying of colorectal cancer. And if you didn't talk about smoking cessation, you have ignored the single biggest threat to your future health and longevity.
Next time you go to your health care provider instead of expecting and being satisfied with a physical exam and routine blood tests, ask him or her to focus on those areas that are of greatest risk to you...and you can help the process by doing your homework on HB before you go!!
By: the Physicians of Health Butler
[5/23/2011]