Contents
Introduction
More Resources for Good Health
Introduction—What's in This Guide
If you are 50 or older, this guide will help you stay healthy. Here is what is in each section.
1. Your Doctors and Nurses—What To Ask Them and What To Tell Them. The tips in this section will help you ask your doctor or nurse the right questions and get the right answers. You will see examples of questions throughout this information.
Note: Although we refer only to doctors and nurses here, this information applies to all the health care professionals you consult.
2. Staying Healthy—How To Take Charge of Your Health. Do you want to lose weight or exercise more? Are you worried that you may be depressed? Do you need help to quit smoking? Learn what to do in your daily life to stay healthy.
3. Checkups, Tests, and Shots—Which Ones You Need and When To Get Them. Are you worried about your cholesterol levels? Do you want to avoid the flu this winter? There are many checkups, tests, and shots that can help protect your health. This section will guide you to the ones that are right for you.
4. More Resources for Good Health—Where To Get More Information. Are you looking for more information about a particular disease or health problem? This section lists some places to contact.
5. Prevention Charts—How To Keep Track of Your Health Care. Do you sometimes forget when you had your last checkup or what your last test results were? You can keep track of your health care by using the prevention charts (PDF File, 35 KB, PDF Help; Text Version). You may want to print out the charts and bring them with you when you go to the doctor's office or clinic. That way, you can show the staff what tests you have had, what medicines you take, and other important information about your health.
What Does It Mean To Be at Risk?
This guide talks a lot about your risk for getting a disease or a condition and whether you are at risk for that health problem. Your risk for any disease or condition depends on whether you have one or more risk factors. Examples of risk factors include:
Family history. A particular disease or health problem may run in your family. For example, diabetes runs in families. Select for a discussion of diabetes and its risk factors.
Personal health habits. Sometimes we choose habits that increase our risk for disease. For example, smoking is a harmful personal habit. Select for information about help for quitting smoking.
Age. Your age may increase your risk for some diseases. For example, older men and women are more likely to get colorectal cancer than those who are younger. Select for information on colorectal cancer.
Sex. Some conditions are more common in men than in women. Other conditions are more common in women. For example, women are more likely than men to suffer from osteoporosis. Select to access information on osteoporosis and how to reduce your risk for it.
Race/ethnicity. Some diseases affect people of one race or ethnic group more than others. For instance, high blood pressure is more common among blacks than among whites. Select for information on how to control your blood pressure.
Some risk factors you can't change. You can't change your age or your race, for example.
Other risk factors—especially your personal health habits—you can change. For example, you can quit smoking or start to exercise regularly.
To stay healthy, it makes sense to do what you can to lower your risk for disease. The information here can help you lower that risk.
