Annual physicals are a great idea, but not if they're monitoring the wrong things. What are the right things to check? We bring you the bottom line on how to get the most from your physical.
Hi, I'm Pilar Gerasimo with a Bottom Line Expert report on what you should expect at your next annual physical. I'm here with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the director of Women's Heart Health at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
When we go to these annual physicals, we get poked...we get prodded...we get stuck with needles, but are they even testing for all the right things, and what should they be testing for? How do we know?
Remember this annual visit is about you. So go in there with all the questions you have, and make sure those questions get answered before you leave. In fact, talk to you doctor about getting your blood test done before that visit, so by the time you leave that visit, you have an answer about what those blood tests mean and if everything was done.
Things that should be checked are risk factors for heart disease—blood pressure should be checked, your height and weight to get a body mass index, and your waist circumference, which can actually increase your risk for heart disease if it is elevated or increase your risk for prediabetes. Other tests on the blood—hemoglobin A1C, which is a test of sugar...hs-CRP which is an inflammatory marker...certainly the cholesterol panel. But talk to your doctor about whether or not it's important to do other testing, like a lipid fractionation or some genetic markers that might increase your risk for heart disease.
That's great. So you listed some really interesting tests, how many of those are standard? And if they're not standard, am I going to have to ask for them specially and will they be paid for by my insurance?
What's so interesting is one of the tests that's standard is an EKG, but unless you have symptoms, an EKG might not be important, so it's not the most cost-effective test. The other testing that I mentioned, like a lipid fractionation, may not be covered by your insurance. If you're at risk for heart disease or you have a family history, call your insurance company and call your doctor. It might be worth it.
The bottom line on annual physicals is that they save lives. But they're really all about you, so make sure you know which questions you want answered and get those answers from your doctor. You might even want to get your lab tests ordered ahead of time to make sure you're getting the ones that you really need and that your doctor is ready to discuss them at your appointment.
For more advice on a healthier life, go to BottomLineHealth.com
