Many other people are screened too frequently, at the wrong age, or with tests that aren’t very accurate. Overall, Americans get only half the preventive care-including screenings-that they should, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. The trouble is, too few people are getting the right tests. That blood pressure check you get during a routine physical? If it reveals hypertension and you get it treated, you might reduce your heart attack and stroke risk by more than 20 percent. As just one example, screenings done at the right age and frequency can cut the risk of colorectal cancer death by as much as half, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). “Screening tests that have been shown to help people live longer or better are an enormous boon to public health.”Īs with Milliron’s colonoscopy, a screening test could spare you the physical, emotional, and financial pain of dealing with a serious illness-and maybe even save your life. Generally, he notes, that’s a good thing. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent expert panel that makes recommendations to the government and medical organizations about preventive care. The surge of interest in testing is propelled by “a trend toward people being proactive about taking better care of themselves,” says Alex Krist, M.D., a professor of family medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and vice chairperson of the U.S.
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