Making a plan for preventative care and screenings is a great way to put your health first. Whether it’s keeping up with recommended vaccines or scheduling screening tests to detect potential problems early, there are different guidelines to stay on top of at different ages throughout your life.
“If everyone followed our preventative health screenings, we would catch disease earlier. We would be able to treat it and be more successful,” Dr. Robert M. Biernbaum, chief medical officer for WellNow Urgent Care, told CBS News. “Instead of seeing end stage breast cancer, end stage colon cancer, we would catch them at a younger age and they would have a better outcome. So prevention is the key to being healthy.”
To help you navigate, CBS News HealthWatch has compiled a series of guides to outline the preventative screenings experts say should be on your list, whether you’re in your 20s, over 60, or anywhere in between. Click on your age group below to learn more.
In your 20s
It’s never too early to start thinking about your health, and our first guide focuses on young adults in their 20s. From basic vaccinations to STI screenings to mental health check-ins, this guide outlines the steps 20-somethings can take to set a good foundation for health and wellness.
In your 30s
Your 30s are all about keeping up with routine checks you started in your 20s and introducing a few more to look out for your health in your next decade.
In your 40s
Your 40s bring on some additional health tests and screenings to consider, including recommendations for mammograms, colorectal cancer screening and heart health checks.
In your 50s
In your 50s, experts advise keeping up with routine checks and also introduce a few additional recommendations, including screening some in this age group for lung cancer and prostate cancer.
In your 60s
In your 60s, there are some additional vaccines and booster shots to protect against illnesses that can be more severe with age, and several more screenings are recommended to help detect disease early for better odds of successful treatment.
This guide is based on guidelines from health organizations and experts for people at average risk. Age and frequency of screenings may differ for individuals based on family history and personal risk factors. This does not take the place of your personal doctor’s recommendations for your health.