Posted on 07/05/2019 8:31:03 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Seeing a health professional for a full health screening—even when you feel healthy—from around age 40 enables people to make changes when problems first set in, experts say.
Flinders University research on a group of 561 seemingly healthy adults found that there was an average of five unidentified health problems per person.
"People in their middle years are being sucked into the black hole of ageing," says Flinders Professor Sue Gordon.
"Small reversible changes in health are accumulating unnoticed while people are time poor and their lives consumed by work and parenting."
Often we don't notice the problem until it's too late for the individual to self-manage, and vastly more expensive to address.
"So even 40 and 50 year olds have health issues most of which are amenable to change."
The health issues included:
Many of the changes were reversible and six months after getting their report, many can adopt health advice and experience better health.
Little is known about the trajectory of ageing through the middle years, known as the 'black hole' of ageing, Professor Gordon says, calling for Australia to increase national spending of just 1.5% of the health budget on health promotion and prevention services.
"Australia needs to move from an over-burdened reactive health system to proactive best health through middle and older life
While genes and injuries alter health, lifestyle and health self-management choices are within our control, but only if we know what areas of our health are declining, she says.
Many issues can be reversed or stopped with self-management and directed care.
The study, including input from experts in population, public and digital health, aims to empower and encourage people to stay well, stay in touch and get the most out of life while avoiding frailty and reducing demand on hospital and health services.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Hey doc, cure something....
KYPD
I would be interested to hear what constitutes a proper health screening.
Sounds like the doctors want to drum up more business.
The Basics
Weight/Height
Blood Pressure
Blood Sugar
Metabolic Panel
Lipid Panel
Blood Count
Listen For Heart Murmurs
Listen To The Lungs
Check For Blood In The Stool
The big health problems start in the 40’s.
Preventative medicine saves money.
Is it usually done by a general practitioner or a specialist?
I have had several discussions that started out "At you age..." and the doctor starts talking about peanut butter spreading treatment for issues average people do have.
However upon specific requests to verify in detail, the doc was surprised that I do not reflect the "norm" and do not need further tests, medications or treatment for non-issues.
Primary care can do all the things I listed.
Just celebrated 79th BD! No pain, no aches, no meds!
My Gym routine every other day for 45-55 minutes is doing the trick.
The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol, in liters per capita, ranked:
Moldova (17.4 liters per capita over 15+ years)
Belarus (17.1)
Lithuania (16.2)
Russia (14.5)
Czech Republic (14.1)
Romania (12.9)
Serbia (12.9)
Australia (12.6)
Portugal (12.5)
Slovakia (12.5)
Exactly my thoughts...
yeah I do all that. but who checks for optimal boron or iodine or vitamin d3 and such.
Silly rabbit - proper health care is only for the elites and politically connected.
And guess who pays for it!
Dissection is best.
Staying clear of health “fads” as well as phony “health science” charlatans is of utmost importance. Most people who fall into those traps, already have engaged in unhealthy practices and now wish to reverse their self-inflicted problems, i.e. grossly obese, alcoholic and/or drug dependency, etc.
FYI I am not a physical fitness nor food nazi but think the old adage of moderation in most, if not all things, is best for a majority of people.
That having been said, I eat bacon, eggs, red meat, real butter, cream in tiny amounts as I’m lactose intolerant but mostly it’s the low or no fat stuff that raises milk sugars that my gut hates!
I generally do not consume alcohol and no longer can enjoy a favorite German wine as everyone now pumps that dangerous (for me, at least) chemical sulfite in their wine to “extend shelf life,” that was what was driving folks who loved salad bars to the ER, a few years ago.
As I stated above, if you’ve over-indulged in “whatever” by the time you hit your 40’s, now is the time to begin to take notice of your health.
Weight, blood sugar or blood pressure too high, look at some some simple steps to turn things around on your own. Push away from those second helpings, add dessert only one day of the week, cut back on your alcohol (yes, all alcohol winds up as sugar in your body and too much makes your healthy organs work too hard), quit smoking - all substances, get enough sleep and try parking further back in the lot at the mall, theater, grocery store, etc. and keep on keeping in without having to rely on drugs to reverse or cure what you yourself are doing to wear your body out, long before your “expired” date.
Of course, I was directing this to FR Friends in their 40’s & 50’s but to the rest of us, we can still help ourselves to a better life for ourselves if we aim as high as is possible to reach the age of Moses!
Health checks by who? Doctors? Thanks for the laugh.
People wind up in health ‘black holes’ because they eat like morons, don’t pay attention to their hormone levels and blood pressure, then sit on their butts listening to themselves get fatter as they eat more poison.
And they certainly can’t look you in the eyes while they’re typing away!
I’m a hundred percent for a doctor visit at least every year. Plus there are health screening places that you can get a lot of testing done pretty easily — it to replace your MD but as a supplement and adjunct It’s worth the hour or so I think
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.