HHS HealthBeat (December 30, 2011)

Fifty-plus and working on it

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

You can plan on being healthy over 50. That’s literally true, because HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, has two updated guides that can help people do it – one for men and one for women.

AHRQ’s director, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, notes that they cover things we know we should do, like being physically active, controlling our weight, and not smoking:

“The checklists also talk about other steps that have been proven to improve health. You can use them to learn more about screening tests, preventive medicines, and other guides and tools for healthy living.”  (11 seconds)

The guides focus on things that people 50 and older need. They’re available online, have links for more information, and they’re available in Spanish as well as English.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: December 30, 2011