Biomedical Steps to Staying Well

What are to components of good health and evaluating a person's future risk of disease?

• Personal history and prior illness
• Life style habits including:
  - Diet
  - Exercise
  - Smoking
  - Alcohol use
  - Safety belts
  - Safe sex practices
• Family history of inheritable diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.
• Physical examination to evaluate blood pressure, body mass index, breast exam and so forth.
• Regular screening tests, including blood sugar test, cholesterol, pap smears and mammography for women, and flexible sigmoidoscopy (endoscopic exam of the colon).

What are specific screening recommendations?
For Men and Women:

• Blood pressure check with every periodic health examination
• Obesity screening with every periodic health examination [Obesity is determined by a person's body mass index (BMI). To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight by 705. Divide the result by your height in inches. Divide by your height again. People with a BMI over 27 are considered obese
• Annual fasting blood sugar for people who are over 45 years of age, obese, African American, Hispanic, Native American, hypertensive or who have abnormal cholesterol levels or a history of gestational diabetes
• Fecal occult blood test and digital rectal exam for colon cancer each year after age 40
• Fecal occult blood test and/or sigmoidoscopy each year after age 50

For Women:

• Mammogram every one to two years for women between 40 and 49 years of age; every year for women over 50 years of age
• Pap smear for cervical cancer beginning at age 18 or earlier if sexually active
• Clinical breast exam every year

What are the recommendations for vaccinations?
For Adults:

• Tetanus booster every ten years
• Pneumonia vaccine at 65 years of age or earlier if problems such as asthma are present
• Influenza vaccine annually for people over 65 years of age, health care workers, and people with chronic illness
• Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all health care workers, homosexual men, people with more than one sexual partner, intravenous drug users, hemodialysis patients and patients with weakened immune systems

What are recommendations for a healthy lifestyle?

• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and beans.
• Follow the recommendations in the food pyramid. Use fats, oils and sweets sparingly; eat 2 to 3 servings from the dairy, meat, eggs and nut groups; eat 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group; eat 2 to 4 servings from the fruit group; and eat 6 to 11 servings from the breads, cereals, rice, and pasta group.
• Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day maximum. One serving of alcohol is equivalent to 1 ounce of liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.
• Refrain from using tobacco products, including chewing tobacco.
• Strive to get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise most if not all days of the week.
• Always wear your seat belt.

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