The most important things you can do to prevent disease and be healthy are:
Get the right kinds of preventive health services—screenings, counseling, and preventive medicines—at the right times. This chart will tell you what you need and when you need it.
Men and women at least every 2 years: 18 years and older
Men at risk: 18-35 years; 65 years and older
Men: 35-65 years
Women at risk: 18-45 years; 65 years and older
Women: 45-65 years
Men and women with high cholesterol and those at risk for heart disease and diabetes: 18 years and older
Men and women at risk for heart disease: 18 years and older
Men at risk: 18-40 years
Men: 40 years and older
Women at risk: 18-50 years
Women: 50 years and older
Once for men who have ever smoked: 65-75 years
Women every 1 to 2 years: 40 years and older
Women at least every 3 years: 18-65 years
Men and women: 50 years and older
Men and women: 18 years and older
Men and women: 18 years and older
Men and women: 18 years and older
Women: 18-25 years
Women at risk: 25 years and older
Women: 18-25 years
Women at risk: 25 years and older
Men and women at risk: 18 years and older
Men and women at risk: 18 years and older
Women at risk: 60-65 years
Women: 65 years and older
Men and women: 18 years and older
Men and women at risk: 18-65 years
Men and women, annually: 65 years and older
Men and women, once: 65 years and older
There are some preventive services that people should take advantage of throughout their later adult years. These services are identified by arrows that continue past the last age category on the chart.
Other preventive services offer less benefit at older ages depending on health status. Older adults should talk with their doctors about the services identified by arrows to determine whether a preventive service is right for them.
These clinical preventive services are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. For additional materials, go to www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov.
What does it mean to be "at risk?" You may be at increased risk for a specific disease or condition. Risk may be based on your family history, tobacco use, and other behaviors, such as lack of physical activity, or other health conditions, such as diabetes.
AHRQ Publication No. APPIP06-IP001
Current as of June 2006
Internet Citation:
Adult Preventive Care Timeline. AHRQ Publication No. APPIP06-IP001, June 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/timelinead.htm
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