Which screenings and check-ups are recommended for my age?
Which screenings apply at your age depends on the individual, but a few anchor points are well supported: annual mammography from age 40, bowel cancer screening from age 45, and genetic prenatal tests for all pregnant women.
For children aged 2 to 12, every visit should include a BMI measurement, a blood pressure check, and at some point a blood fat test. In practice, this falls short far too often: BMI was measured in 77 out of 100 cases, blood pressure in only 33 out of 100, and blood fat in just 10 out of 100. As a parent, it is well worth raising these points yourself at an appointment.
Are you pregnant? Genetic screening is now available to all pregnant women, not just older mothers as was once the case. Tests for chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease are offered as standard. Children with Down syndrome have their own age-based benchmarks for motor skills, language, and independence, so that delays can be detected early.
For women, mammography is the only well-supported tool for reducing deaths from breast cancer. The advice for women at average risk is to start annual mammograms from age 40. Have you had breast cancer before? If so, the current age-based rules for follow-up fall short, because the type of treatment you received matters at least as much. Discuss this individually with your doctor.
According to US guidelines, cervical cancer screening can be stopped after age 65. That advice is broadly followed: the share of women getting a smear test drops by nearly 6 percentage points once they turn 66. But this effect varies considerably between population groups. The guideline does not reach everyone equally.
For bowel cancer screening, the American Cancer Society lowered the starting age from 50 to 45 in 2018, in response to rising rates of bowel cancer in younger adults. However, there is very little direct evidence that screening people aged 45 to 50 actually reduces deaths. The recommendation here is running ahead of the science.
The claims are drawn from studies tracking people over time, guideline documents, and registry data. No experiments or combined analyses of many studies were used as direct sources. Most statements are based on guideline recommendations or patterns found in data, not experimental evidence. For people between 20 and 40 years of age with no pregnancy or specific medical condition, these sources contain no dedicated findings.
Should I take vitamin B12 supplements as I get older?
Getting older increases the risk of a B12 deficiency, even if you eat healthily. A tablet of 1000 µg per day is safe and restores blood levels effectively; discuss this with your doctor. In addition to your B12 blood value, ask for your methylmalonic acid (MMA) level to be measured for a reliable picture.
Do older adults need more protein than younger people?
Older adults likely need more protein than the standard guideline of 0.8 grams per kilogram suggests. As a healthy older adult, aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram per day, spread well across meals, and combine this with resistance training where possible.
Does eating a high-fibre diet help against constipation as you get older?
Eating more fibre helps with constipation in older adults, but the overall dietary pattern matters at least as much as fibre grams alone. Always drink enough water when taking fibre supplements, and consult your doctor if you use medications or are unable to drink sufficient fluids.
Does the time you eat affect your ageing?
The time at which you eat does appear to matter, although the evidence in humans is still associative. A nightly fasting window of 10 to 12 hours and concentrating your meals during the day are the most concrete guidelines that current research offers.
Is intermittent fasting suitable for women over forty?
Intermittent fasting is a viable approach for women over forty, including after menopause, for weight management and improved metabolism. Ideally, combine it with strength training to protect muscle mass.
How many years does smoking cost me, and does quitting still help?
Smoking demonstrably costs years of life expectancy at the population level, but a precise personal figure cannot be given on the basis of this research. Quitting always helps, at any age: the sooner you quit, the greater the gain.