Primary Care

Believe in Better Health Toolkit

Women's Guidelines for Health - for Women 65 Years and Over

Use this chart...

to help guide your checkups with your healthcare provider. This information was compiled from recommendations made by various healthcare organizations and generally applies to healthy individuals without a specific disease or additional risk factors.

Talk with your physician...

to discuss and understand your personal health guidelines, because recommendations can vary depending on your situation. Your discussion should include a personal or family history of heart disease or stroke, cancer, thyroid disease, diabetes, glaucoma, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and other important medical conditions.

Polypharmacy

As an adult over 65 years of age, you may take several prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It’s important to ask your physician and your pharmacist about the drugs you are taking, if you should avoid any foods or substances, and about any possible drug interactions. If you have difficulty reading a prescription label or are unsure about how to take your medicine, call your physician or pharmacist.

Bring all your medications—both prescription and non-prescription, supplements and herbals— to your periodic health evaluations so your physician can assess any possible interactions or unnecessary medications.
Keep an up-to-date list of all your medications and record how much and how often you take each.
Don’t hesitate to ask your physician or pharmacist about the drugs you are taking and what they do.
Let your healthcare provider know if you drink alcoholic beverages

The information on this page is not intended as medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for individual medical judgment by a physician or other medical healthcare professional. The aim is to provide information and help in establishing guidelines for preventive care. Remember, always consult a healthcare provider for individualized advice on your health decisions.

Guide to Health Checkups for Women 65 Years and Over

Test	Recommended Frequency
Weight	Annually
Blood Pressure	At least every 1-2 years
Cholesterol	At least once every 5 years
Immunizations	Tetanus-diphtheria: Every 10 years Influenza: Annually Pneumococcal: Once at age 65
Clinical Breast Exam	Annual exam by healthcare provider Monthly self-exam
Mammography	Annually
Pelvic Exam / PAP Smear	Every 1-3 years
Colon Cancer Screening	Annual stool blood test and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years OR Colonoscopy every 10 years
Diabetes Screening	Every 3 years or per healthcare provider
Eye Exam	Every 1-2 years as indicated
Hearing	Every 1-2 years as indicated

|back to top|

These recommendations are compiled from multiple local and national sources, which may sometimes vary in their specific details. Risk factors may also change recommendations. Discuss with your physician and understand how these recommendations apply to your individual health profile; January 2002.

Provided as an educational service by Strong Health in cooperation with Pfizer, Inc, 2002

(complete index of Believe in Better Health Toolkit files offered on this Web site with links to printable versions)