Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age

Checklist for Your Next Checkup


What can you do to stay healthy and prevent disease? You can get certain screening tests, take preventive medicine if you need it, and practice healthy behaviors.

Top health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that when you go for your next checkup, talk to your doctor or nurse about how you can stay healthy no matter what your age.

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Screening Tests: What You Need and When

Screening tests, such as colorectal cancer tests, can find diseases early when they are easier to treat. Some men need certain screening tests earlier, or more often, than others. Talk to your doctor about which of the tests listed below are right for you, when you should have them, and how often. The Task Force has made the following recommendations, based on scientific evidence, about which screening tests you should have.

Should You Take Medicines to Prevent Disease?

What Else Can You Do To Stay Healthy?

Don't Smoke. But if you do smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. You can take medicine and get counseling to help you quit. Make a plan and set a quit date. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers you are quitting. Ask for their support.

Eat a Healthy Diet. Eat a variety of foods, including fruit, vegetables, animal or vegetable protein (such as meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh) and grains (such as rice). Limit the amount of saturated fat you eat.

Be Physically Active. Walk, dance, ride a bike, rake leaves, or do any other physical activity you enjoy. Start small and work up to a total of 20-30 minutes most days of the week.

Stay at a Healthy Weight. Balance the number of calories you eat with the number you burn off by your activities. Remember to watch portion sizes. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about what or how much to eat.

Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation. If you drink alcohol, have no more than 2 drinks a day. A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Screening Test Checklist

Take this checklist with you to your doctor's office and fill it out when you have had any of the tests listed below. Talk to your doctor about when you should have these tests next, and note the month and year in the right-hand column.

Also, talk to your doctor about which of the other tests listed below you should have in the future, and when you need them.

  The last time I had the following screening test was:
(mm/yy)
I should schedule my next test for:
(mm/yy)
Cholesterol    
Blood pressure    
Colorectal cancer    
Sexually transmitted diseases    
Prostate cancer    

More Information

For more information on staying healthy, order the following free publications in the Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP) program from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (call the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295), or find them at: www.ahrq.gov/clinic/ppipix.htm.

The information in this fact sheet is based on research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the leading independent panel of private-sector experts in prevention and primary care. The Task Force conducts rigorous scientific assessments of the effectiveness of a broad range of clinical preventive services. Its recommendations are considered the "gold standard" for preventive services delivered in the clinical setting. Additional details about the recommendations can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Web site (www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm) or by calling the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse (1-800-358-9295).

The Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP) program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is designed to increase the appropriate use of clinical preventive services, such as screening tests, chemoprevention and immunizations, and counseling. The PPIP program is based on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. PPIP tools and resources enable doctors and other health care providers to determine which preventive services their patients should receive and make it easier for patients to understand and keep track of their preventive care.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

AHRQ Publication No. APPIP 03-0011
Current as of February 2004


Internet Citation:

Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age—Checklist for Your Next Checkup. AHRQ Publication No. APPIP03-0011, Revised February 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm


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