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    Health Screening Guidelines, Men Ages 65 and Older

    Screening tests and health counseling are a key part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help you reduce your risk of disease.

    Below are guidelines for men ages 65 and older. Talk with your health care provider. Make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.

    We understand gender is a spectrum. We may use gendered terms to talk about anatomy and health risk. Please use this information in a way that works best for you and your provider as you talk about your care.

    Screening

    Who needs it

    How often

    Abdominal aortic aneurysm

    Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Men in this age group who have never smoked could still be screened. This depends on their family history or other risk factors they may have.

    1-time ultrasound

    Unhealthy alcohol use

    All men in this age group

    At routine exams

    Blood pressure

    All men in this age group

    Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your health care provider.

    Colorectal cancer

    All men at average risk in this age group through age 75. For men ages 76 to 85, ask your health care provider if you need to keep screening. For men older than 85, screening is not advised.

    Talk with your health care provider about which test below is right for you:

    • Colonoscopy every 10 years

    • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years (or every 10 years with yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) stool test)

    • CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

    • Yearly fecal occult blood test

    • Yearly FIT

    • Stool DNA test with FIT every 3 years

    If you have a test that is not a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need a colonoscopy.

    You may need to be screened more or less often. This is based on personal or family health history. Talk with your health care provider.

    Depression

    All men in this age group

    At routine exams

    Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

    All men up to age 70 who are overweight or obese

    At least every 3 years (yearly if your blood sugar has already begun to rise)

    Type 2 diabetes

    All men with prediabetes

    Every year or as advised by your health care provider

    Hepatitis C

    All men ages 18 or older

    Once in a lifetime or more often for people with ongoing risk factors. Ask your health care provider about how often you need to be screened based on your risk factors.

    High cholesterol or triglycerides

    All men in this age group

    Ask your health care provider about how often you need to be screened based on your risk factors.

    HIV

    Men at higher risk of infection

    At routine exams. Talk with your health care provider.

    Lung cancer

    Men between ages 50 and 80 who are in fairly good health and who:

    • Smoke or have quit smoking

    • Have a 20-pack per year smoking history (1 pack a day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years)

    Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your health care provider.

    Yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scan (LDCT). Talk with your health care provider about your risk factors.

    Obesity

    All men in this age group

    At yearly routine exams

    Prostate cancer

    All men in this age group

    Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of a digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. They can help you decide whether screening is right for you.

    Syphilis

    Men at higher risk of infection

    At routine exams. Talk with your health care provider.

    Tuberculosis

    Men at higher risk of infection

    Talk with your health care provider.

    Vision

    All men in this age group

    Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic health condition, ask your health care provider if you need exams more often.

    Health counseling

    Who needs it

    How often

    Diet and exercise

    All men in this age group

    At routine exams

    Fall prevention (exercise, vitamin D supplements)

    All men in this age group

    At routine exams

    Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention

    Men at higher risk for infection

    At routine exams. Talk with your health care provider.

    Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause

    All men in this age group

    Every visit

    Online Medical Reviewer: Rita Sather RN
    Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
    Online Medical Reviewer: Susan K. Dempsey-Walls RN
    Date Last Reviewed: 1/1/2025
    © 2000-2025 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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    Southern New Mexico
    Surgery Center

    2301 Indian Wells Rd. Suite B
    Alamogordo, NM 88310
    www.snmsc.org

    Phone: 575.437.0890
    Fax: 575.437.0905
    Email: info@snmsc.org

    Disclaimer