CityView Magazine

Reduce your risk Heart disease and stroke far outweigh other causes of death. How can you reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease? One 81 mg aspirin tablet may be the trick and costs less than three cents a day. Here are the guidelines: If you are a man between the ages of 45 and 79 or a woman between 55 and 79, your doctor can calculate your Framingham Risk Score based on blood pressure, age, blood sugar, smoking status and cholesterol. If your risk of a heart attack (men) or a stroke (women) is greater than your risk of bleeding, take the aspirin. Tip: A test you should NOT get is a carotid ultrasound to reduce your risk of stroke. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against this test because it says there is a moderate or high certainty that the service has no benefit and that harm outweighs the benefits. This test is frequently offered at screening fairs for $45. Take a vision test Age-related maculopathy (formerly known as macular degeneration), central vision loss, cataracts and glaucoma are more common as we age. A simple screening can lead to improved vision which can reduce falls and improve medication adherence. Get screened for colorectal cancer You may not necessarily need a colonoscopy. An alternative is a fecal occult blood testing otherwise known as stool cards. Your doctor can give you a set of three cards with two windows each to collect stool samples. This simple test costs around $20 (at least 50 times less expensive than a colonoscopy) and avoids the uncomfortable prep. The upside of a colonoscopy is a test every 10 years vs. stool cards on an annual basis, starting at age 50. Check your pressure High blood pressure causes strokes and heart attacks. Today’s goals call for a count less than 140 systolic and 90 diastolic. Tip: New blood pressure goals will be released this fall and yes, they are expected to be even lower. 58 | June/July • 2010 Get a mammogram Mammography is recommended every other year for all women ages 50 to 74. What about women younger than 50? “You should talk to your doctor and make an informed decision about whether mammography is right for you based on your family history, general health and personal values,” says Dr. Diana Petitti, vice chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

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