Health Screening

Health screening requires you to apply your knowledge of pathophysiology and risk factors linked to ethnicity and known population or community characteristics. Screening examples include:

• Blood sugar check: Levels more than 199 mg/dL without fasting or more than 125 mg/dL with fasting for 8 hours signal the need for a more complete workup.
• Blood pressure check: One-third of people whose blood pressures exceed 140/90 mm Hg do not know it. Incidence of the silent killer is higher in the southeastern United States, especially among African Americans. Other risk factors are age over 60 years, inactive lifestyle, and hyperlipidemia.
• Fasting lipid profile: Adults should have a fasting lipid profile done at least once every 5 years. The total cholesterol value should be under 200 mg/dL, triglycerides (fatty acids) should be under 150 mg/dL, the low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol that accelerates atherosclerosis) value should be under 100 mg/dL, and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the "good" cholesterol that removes cholesterol) value should be greater than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women.
• Colorectal screening: Regular screening, beginning at age 50, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer. This screening can include fecal occult blood test (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, double-contrast barium enema (DCBE), or digital rectal exam (DRE).
• Prostate screening: Men should get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test beginning at age 50.
• Mammograms: Women should get a baseline mammogram between ages 40 and 50, after considering risk factors.