Basic medical tests must be done on a regular basis to keep track of your health. When you age, it becomes more necessary. You must keep in mind that these medical tests must be done from a trusted medical laboratory. The following are some must do tests for men above 50 years:
Blood Pressure
If you have high BP, it can be a major cause of heart attacks and strokes. There are no particular symptoms of this disorder and so the name silent killer has been given to it. You must get your blood pressure checked regularly by doing a blood test for that to be on the safe side. You can avoid hypertension by making the necessary diet and exercise changes if you regularly monitor your blood pressure. The main reasons for high BP are work pressure and physical inactivity. So BP must be checked regularly if you have regular work pressure.
Fasting Glucose Test/ Blood Sugar Test and HbA1c Test
A fasting glucose test is recommended if you have a family history of diabetes or you lead a physically inactive life, even if you don’t have diabetes. Diabetes can be diagnosed by it, which is a pre-diabetes test. Getting the blood glucose test on a regular basis is necessary if you already have diabetes. In getting a more precise assessment of the glucose levels present in the blood HbA1c test is also helpful. You can make amends to your diet and exercise routine according to your sugar levels which you can know from this test done by well-equipped pathology test centres. Your sugar levels may shoot up without your knowledge if you don’t do frequent testing and this may lead to serious problems like vision impairment, kidney issues, etc.
Lipid Profile
There is a slowdown in our digestion with age and this accompanied by obesity and unhealthy food habits leads to high cholesterol. The LDLs or the bad cholesterol fatty substances increase in the blood in this condition. If not regulated in time, this causes heart blockages. You can know as to what kind of changes you need to bring in your food and exercise habits if you do regular checkups.
Liver and Kidney Functioning Tests
The symptoms of liver and kidney diseases can be generally seen only when they reach a critical stage. Kidney diseases are common in 17% of urban India while liver diseases are common in 1 among very 5 Indians. To detect any issues like hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney diseases, etc. it becomes necessary to get your KFT and LFT done on a regular basis. To prevent liver and kidney failure, detection of these diseases within time is necessary.
PSA Test
Prostate Specific Antigen is the full form of PSA. The prostate gland, which helps in the production of semen, produces PSA. This PSA fluid tends to increase by default as men get old. But there is an increase in the risk of prostate cancer if too much of PSA is released. In old men, it is a major threat. Cancer can be detected at an early stage by getting a compulsory PSA test once a year from a well-known medical laboratory and hence can be a lifesaver. A PSA test is used to diagnose prostatitis (inflamed or tender prostate) and an enlarged prostate apart from detecting prostate cancer.
Complete Urine Exam (CUE)
Your doctor can trace your food and exercise habits with the help of your urine sample and suggest changes in them if required. Secondly, we get rid of a lot of toxins through urine. Hidden health complications related mainly to the kidneys can sometimes reach a critical stage. To detect them early, the examination of these toxins helps a lot.
Testosterone
There is a decline in the testosterone levels in males with age. Issues like increasing weight, declining libido, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, poor sleep quality, bone loss, hair loss, behavioural changes, poor sleep quality, etc. For men above 50, this is one of the most urged blood tests, especially for those complaining of the aforementioned issues.
Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy, a test that screens patients for colorectal cancer, is an important medical test for men above 50. To determine colorectal health, other tests like sigmoidoscopy and fecal occult blood test are also used. These tests should be done from modernized pathology test centres.
