Abstract
Health maintenance in men: what makes sense? The author reviews guidelines of the Canadian and U.S. Preventive Task Forces on the Periodic Health Examination and recent papers on prevention issues. A healthy man between 20 and 65 years of age might visit a physician every five years. Health-maintenance visits should include evaluation of STD and HIV risk factors, blood pressure reading and, after 35, cholesterol measurement. After 65, a visit every other year should suffice, but individuals must be informed of the importance of yearly influenza vaccination. Appropriate lifestyle counselling should be part of any medical encounter.
Keywords: men's health, physical examination, periodic check-ups
Full text
PDF




Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andriole G. L., Catalona W. J. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Urol Clin North Am. 1987 Nov;14(4):657–661. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Battista R. N., Huston P., Davis M. W. Changing concepts of primary open-angle glaucoma and early detection. Can Fam Physician. 1986 Jul;32:1483–1488. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beaulieu M. D. L'examen médical périodique chez la personne âgée. Can Fam Physician. 1984 Mar;30:601–604. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bruce R. A., Hossack K. F., DeRouen T. A., Hofer V. Enhanced risk assessment for primary coronary heart disease events by maximal exercise testing: 10 years' experience of Seattle Heart Watch. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983 Sep;2(3):565–573. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(83)80286-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dales L. G., Friedman G. D., Collen M. F. Evaluating periodic multiphasic health checkups: a controlled trial. J Chronic Dis. 1979;32(5):385–404. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(79)90080-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DeWys W. D. Detection, staging, and monitoring of prostatic cancer: clinical overview and opportunities for research. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1987;239:613–630. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Epstein S. E., Quyyumi A. A., Bonow R. O. Myocardial ischemia--silent or symptomatic. N Engl J Med. 1988 Apr 21;318(16):1038–1043. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198804213181606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Erikssen J. Prognostic importance of silent ischemia during long-term follow-up of patients with coronary artery disease. A short review based on own experience and current literature. Herz. 1987 Dec;12(6):359–368. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fihn S. D. A prudent approach to control of cholesterol levels. JAMA. 1987 Nov 6;258(17):2416–2418. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frank J. W., Coates R. A., Harvey B. J., Goel V., Schiralli V. A Critical Look at HIV-Antibody Tests: 2. Benefits, Risks and Clinical Use. Can Fam Physician. 1987 Oct;33:2229–2235. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frank J. W., Goel V., Harvey B. J., Coates R. A., Schiralli V. A Critical Look at HIV-Antibody Tests: 1. How Accurate Are They? Can Fam Physician. 1987 Sep;33:2005–2011. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frank J. W. Occult-blood screening for colorectal carcinoma: the risks. Am J Prev Med. 1985 Jul-Aug;1(4):25–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frick M. H., Elo O., Haapa K., Heinonen O. P., Heinsalmi P., Helo P., Huttunen J. K., Kaitaniemi P., Koskinen P., Manninen V. Helsinki Heart Study: primary-prevention trial with gemfibrozil in middle-aged men with dyslipidemia. Safety of treatment, changes in risk factors, and incidence of coronary heart disease. N Engl J Med. 1987 Nov 12;317(20):1237–1245. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198711123172001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Friedman G. D., Collen M. F., Fireman B. H. Multiphasic Health Checkup Evaluation: a 16-year follow-up. J Chronic Dis. 1986;39(6):453–463. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(86)90112-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gilbertsen V. A. Proctosigmoidoscopy and polypectomy in reducing the incidence of rectal cancer. Cancer. 1974 Sep;34(3):suppl–suppl:939. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197409)34:3+<936::aid-cncr2820340722>3.0.co;2-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HERTZ R. E., DEDDISH M. R., DAY E. Value of periodic examinations in detecting cancer of the rectum and colon. Postgrad Med. 1960 Mar;27:290–294. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1960.11712835. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hennekens C. H., Peto R., Hutchison G. B., Doll R. An overview of the British and American aspirin studies. N Engl J Med. 1988 Apr 7;318(14):923–924. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198804073181412. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jacobs D. R., Jr, Barrett-Connor E. Retest reliability of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. The Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 Dec;116(6):878–885. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113490. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johansen H., Semenciw R., Morrison H., Mao Y., Verdier P., Smith M. E., Wigle D. T. Important risk factors for death in adults: a 10-year follow-up of the Nutrition Canada survey cohort. CMAJ. 1987 Apr 15;136(8):823–828. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LaForce F. M. Immunizations, immunoprophylaxis, and chemoprophylaxis to prevent selected infections. US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 1987 May 8;257(18):2464–2470. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lawrence R. S., Mickalide A. D. Preventive services in clinical practice: designing the periodic health examination. JAMA. 1987 Apr 24;257(16):2205–2207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Orme M. Aspirin all round? Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Jan 30;296(6618):307–308. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6618.307. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Oster G., Epstein A. M. Cost-effectiveness of antihyperlipemic therapy in the prevention of coronary heart disease. The case of cholestyramine. JAMA. 1987 Nov 6;258(17):2381–2387. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Polen M. R., Friedman G. D. US Preventive Services Task Force. Automobile injury--selected risk factors and prevention in the health care setting. JAMA. 1988 Jan 1;259(1):76–80. doi: 10.1001/jama.259.1.76. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Relman A. S. Reporting the aspirin study: the Journal and the media. N Engl J Med. 1988 Apr 7;318(14):918–920. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198804073181409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Simon J. B. Occult blood screening of Canadians: wise or unwise? CMAJ. 1985 Oct 1;133(7):647–649. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Taylor W. C., Pass T. M., Shepard D. S., Komaroff A. L. Cholesterol reduction and life expectancy. A model incorporating multiple risk factors. Ann Intern Med. 1987 Apr;106(4):605–614. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-4-605. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tulloch A. J., Moore V. A randomized controlled trial of geriatric screening and surveillance in general practice. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1979 Dec;29(209):733–740. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
