Health Services And Screenings Every Woman Should Know About

Friday, March 1, 2019

by doctors to lookfor early signs ofthe (NAPSA)—Eating healthydiet, exercising, getting a regular Pap smear and disease, are the most effective method of screening for breast cancer. Evidence mammogram—these are just a few ofthe do, given the mountainsofinformation showsthat the benefits of mammograms increase with age, with women aged 60 to 69 mostlikely to benefit from screening. Still, about onein three women who determine whichservices andscreenings are right for them—and when? You can not. If you are between the ages of 50 and 74,talk to your doctoraboutgetting many steps womencan take to help en- sure they live longer, healthier lives. How- ever, it can be tough tofigure out whatto should get a mammogram regularly do that are available. So, how can women start by being aware of what the science says aboutpreventingcertain health con- ditions and by having an open and hon- est conversation with your doctor about your values and preferences. Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD)is the number onecause of death for women. Fortunately, you can help prevent CVD by addressing importantrisk factors such as high bloodpressure, high cholesterol, andobesity. For example,ifyou are age 40 Womenshould talk to their doctors about whatthey can doto protect their health. talk to your doctor about ways to help you quit. If you are overweight and have other CVDriskfactors or evenif you are healthy and simply wantto stay that way, askyour doctor about how you candevelop heart-healthy habits. Cervical Cancer Screening for cervical cancer finds to 75,talk to your doctor about your CVD. risk and whether a low- or moderate-dose statin may be right for you. Statins are medications that lower your cholesterol, the disease whenitis most treatable. Un- having a heart attack orstroke. ed. Thatis whyit is critical for women to get screened regularly starting at age 21. fortunately, 12,000 womenin the United. States are diagnosedwith cervical cancer each year. Most cases of cervical cancer preventbuildup ofcholesterol andfats in happen in women whohave not been your arteries, and reduce your chances of regularly screened or appropriately treatDepending on your ageandrisk fac- tors, taking a low-doseaspirin daily can also potentially help prevent CVD. When bloodclotsform in narrow bloodvessels, such as the ones in your heart and brain, it can cause a heart attack orstroke. Aspi- rin can help keepthese bloodclots from happening, lowering yourrisk. There are somerisks associated with taking lowdose aspirin every day, so make sure you talk to your doctor about whetheraspirin is right for you. Takingstatins andaspirin to prevent CVDare effective but they are just one part of CVDprevention. You can reduce your risk of CVD by quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and becoming more physically active. If you smoke, ‘There are several effective options for screening, depending on your age and a mammogram regularly. Some women decide to start screening asearly as age 40. Talk with your doctor about your individualsituation and circumstances, when you should start screening, and howoften you should be screened. Screeningfor Osteoporosis Aspeople age, their bones begin to thin. For some people, their bones be- comevery weak andcan break or frac- ture more easily, a condition known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects one in every four womenage65orolderin the United States. Bone measurementtests can be used to screen for osteoporosis andidentify thelikelihoodoffuture frac- tures. For people who haveosteoporosis, treatments are available to reducetherisk ofa fracture. If you are a woman age 65 or older (or younger than 65 with certain risk factors), ask your doctor about being preferences. The Pap test and the human screenedfor osteoporosis and other ways to improve bone health. effective waysto screen for cervical can- Keeping Yourself Healthy papillomavirus (HPV)test are the most cer and are done during visit to your doctor’s office. Talk to your doctor about which test is best for you and how often you should betested. Breast Cancer Breast canceris one of the most com- montypes of cancer in women;roughly 237,000 casesare reported in the United States each year. Breast cancer screening aims to findthe disease early, whenit is easier to treat. Mammograms, which are X-ray pictures of the breasts used Recommendationsfor ‘These recommendations were devel- oped by the US.Preventive Services Task Force—anindependentgroupofnational experts in prevention. The Task Force makes recommendations, based on the latest science, about what works and what doesn't workfor preventing disease andpromoting good health. Learn More Forfurtherinformation on these and other Task Force recommendations, visit ‘www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

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