Patient Resources

Health Screening Guidelines for Men 65+

Screening tests and health counseling are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes and checkups can reduce the risk of disease. Or the goal may be to find it early to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not used to diagnose a disease. But they are used to see if more testing is needed. Below are guidelines for these, for men ages 65 and older. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you and to make sure you’re up to date on what you need.

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 offered screening, depending on their family history, medical history, or other risk factors they may have.	One-time ultrasound screening
Alcohol use or misuse	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Blood pressure	All men in this age group	Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg If your blood pressure is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
Colorectal cancer	All men at average risk in this age group through age 75 who are in good health. For men ages 76 to 85, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you should continue screening. For men 85 and older, screening is not advised.	Several tests are available and are used at different times. For tests that find polyps and cancer: Colonoscopy every 10 years (recommended), or Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years For tests that mainly find cancer: Yearly fecal occult blood test, or Yearly fecal immunochemical test, or Stool DNA test every 3 years If you choose a test other than a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need to have a colonoscopy. Screening recommendations vary among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you. Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health history.
Depression	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	All men starting at age 45 and men without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have one or more risk factors for diabetes	At least every 3 years (annual testing if your blood sugar has begun to rise)
Type 2 diabetes	All men with prediabetes	Every year
Hepatitis C	At least once in a lifetime; anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
High cholesterol and triglycerides	All men in this age group	Every 4 to 6 years for normal-risk adults. Some people with elevated risk factors should be screened more often. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.
HIV	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Lung cancer	Men between the ages of 50 to 80 who are in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer who: Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and Have a 20-pack year history of smoking (1 pack/day for 20 years or 2 packs/day for 10 years)	Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT); talk with your healthcare provider about your risk and situation
Obesity	All adults	At routine exams. talk with your healthcare provider if your BMI is 30 or higher
Prostate cancer	Men aged 55 to 69, talk to healthcare provider about risks and benefits of digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. PSA screening is not routinely recommended in men ages 70 and older.	At routine exams
Syphilis	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Tuberculosis	Anyone at increased risk for infection	Check with your healthcare provider
Vision	All adults	Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic disease, ask your healthcare provider how often you need an exam.

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 offered screening, depending on their family history, medical history, or other risk factors they may have.

One-time ultrasound screening

Alcohol use or misuse

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Blood pressure

All men in this age group

Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal

Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg

If your blood pressure is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.

Colorectal cancer

All men at average risk in this age group through age 75 who are in good health. For men ages 76 to 85, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you should continue screening. For men 85 and older, screening is not advised.

Several tests are available and are used at different times.

For tests that find polyps and cancer:

Colonoscopy every 10 years (recommended), or
Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or
CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

For tests that mainly find cancer:

Yearly fecal occult blood test, or
Yearly fecal immunochemical test, or
Stool DNA test every 3 years

If you choose a test other than a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need to have a colonoscopy. Screening recommendations vary among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you.

Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health history.

Depression

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

All men starting at age 45 and men without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have one or more risk factors for diabetes

At least every 3 years (annual testing if your blood sugar has begun to rise)

Type 2 diabetes

All men with prediabetes

Every year

Hepatitis C

At least once in a lifetime; anyone at increased risk for infection

At routine exams

High cholesterol and triglycerides

All men in this age group

Every 4 to 6 years for normal-risk adults. Some people with elevated risk factors should be screened more often. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.

HIV

Anyone at increased risk for infection

At routine exams

Lung cancer

Men between the ages of 50 to 80 who are in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer who:

Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and
Have a 20-pack year history of smoking (1 pack/day for 20 years or 2 packs/day for 10 years)

Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT); talk with your healthcare provider about your risk and situation

Obesity

All adults

At routine exams. talk with your healthcare provider if your BMI is 30 or higher

Prostate cancer

Men aged 55 to 69, talk to healthcare provider about risks and benefits of digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. PSA screening is not routinely recommended in men ages 70 and older.

At routine exams

Syphilis

Anyone at increased risk for infection

At routine exams

Tuberculosis

Anyone at increased risk for infection

Check with your healthcare provider

Vision

All adults

Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic disease, ask your healthcare provider how often you need an exam.

Counseling	Who needs it	How often
Diet and exercise	Adults who are overweight or obese	When diagnosed and at routine exams
Fall prevention (exercise, vitamin D supplements)	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Sexually transmitted infection prevention	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Tobacco use and tobacco-related disease	All adults	Every visit

Counseling

Who needs it

How often

Diet and exercise

Adults who are overweight or obese

When diagnosed and at routine exams

Fall prevention (exercise, vitamin D supplements)

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Sexually transmitted infection prevention

Anyone at increased risk for infection

At routine exams

Tobacco use and tobacco-related disease

All adults

Every visit