As we soon celebrate another year gone and the next coming, many of us might be creating New Year resolutions, putting ourselves in a different path for change or strategizing ways to put our best foot forward as we walk into 2024 - it’s the “new year, new you” philosophy.

If health is on your mind during this time, might I suggest something in addition to just diets and exercise? If you are looking to curb those pounds, combat the problems associated with diabetes or better handle another health issue, eating wholesome food and exercise are definitely the ways to go. But another important step toward a healthy lifestyle is remembering to make and keep your routine health screenings.

A woman’s first health screening can occur as early as in her 20s. These include eye exam, Pap smear, breast exam and skin cancer screening. These, plus others, continue into a woman’s 30s. In her 40s, it is recommended a woman receive a mammogram and a colonoscopy. In her 50s, a woman should get bone density and hearing tests. In her 60s, dementia and Alzheimer’s screenings should be conducted. This list does not include all the recommendations, and the tests done throughout the previous decades should continue into the new age bracket.

For a man, health screenings also are recommended to begin in his 20s and 30s. These include depression screening, testicular cancer screening and cholesterol check. In his 40s, a colonoscopy is recommended. Hearing test and cardiac calcium scoring are recommended for a man in his 50s. In his 60s, a man should also receive dementia and Alzheimer’s screenings and prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, as needed. Like the case for women, this list does not include all the recommendations, and the tests done throughout the previous decades should continue into the new age bracket.

Studies show when people follow the recommended age-related health screenings, an early diagnosis may lead to a longer life span.

“Medical tests aren’t just for diagnosing disorders once symptoms appear. They’re also routinely used as an important aspect of preventive health care,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. “People who see their doctor regularly and have routine screenings are more likely to receive an early diagnosis if they develop a medical condition, and this contributes to better outcomes and a longer life span.

“Routine screenings also allow physicians to compare test results over time, increasing the chances that a potential problem can be prevented by interventions like medications or lifestyle changes. For most adults, depending on age, doctors will recommend a screening schedule that includes regular physical exams, body mass index (BMI), skin checks, cholesterol and blood pressure screening, eye exams, immunizations and screening for sexually transmitted diseases,” the hospital continues.

In a March 2, 2021, NPR article titled “Five Medical Appointments You Should Stop Putting Off,” writer Kristen Kendrick said, “When it comes to finding - and fighting - cancer, timing can make the difference between life and death.” In her piece, she talked with Dr. Therese Bevers, medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“People delaying their cancer screenings are being diagnosed at later, more advanced stages when treatments aren’t as successful as they are in earlier stages,” Bevers said.

This year, U.S. Preventive Services Task returned to its recommendation of getting routine mammograms starting at age 40, changed from the previous recommendation of age 50.

“The reason that it changed from 40 to 50 was a decision from the task force that the benefits did not outweigh the perceived harms. And the harms that were considered in their evaluation were things like the psychological impact and anxiety associated with getting a false positive, the risk of a biopsy or the risk of additional follow-up,” Steven Isakoff, the director of Breast Cancer Clinical Research at Mass General Cancer Center and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said in a May 12 interview with Samantha Laine Perfas, with The Harvard Gazette. “And there was a concern when these guidelines came out many years ago that it was a bit paternalistic to say, ‘Well, we think causing anxiety for women is a harm, so we’re going to change the age to 50 when the likelihood of finding cancer is a little higher.’

“Most patients will tell you that if there’s a chance of finding their cancer a little earlier - with a small chance of a false positive - that’s OK. The other thing to consider is most of the false positives are picked up on a screening mammogram.What that means is the patient gets called back for a diagnostic mammogram. Generally, these do not lead to surgical interventions that are unnecessary. In the majority of cases, it’s simply a call back for more imaging, which most of the time results in ‘nothing to see here’ and the patient goes back to regular screening.”

In younger ages, between 2015 and 2019, the frequency of breast cancer increased by around 2% each year, Isakoff said in the interview.

I am only a little less than three years away from the 40 mark. Since I have breast cancer in my family, I will definitely be getting my mammograms. I personally know two women who have had breast cancer, and thankfully both are well today. But a scary realization is that these two women are young - they are not in their 50s.

I want to be the healthiest I can for my son, and that means trusting science, listening to my doctors and scheduling my health screenings.

In this new year, I wish happiness and health for all abound.

Stacey Koch

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press