Prevention Guidelines, Women Ages 50 to 64
Screening tests and vaccines are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find possible disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes can be made and you can be watched more closely to reduce the risk of disease, or to detect it early enough to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not considered diagnostic, but are used to determine if more testing is needed. Health counseling is essential, too. Below are guidelines for these, for women ages 50 to 64. Talk with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re up to date on what you need.
|
Screening |
Who needs it |
How often |
|---|---|---|
|
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes |
All women beginning at age 45 and women without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have 1 or more additional risk factors for diabetes. |
At least every 3 years |
|
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes |
All women diagnosed with gestational diabetes |
Lifelong testing every 3 years |
|
Type 2 diabetes |
All women with prediabetes |
Every year |
|
Alcohol misuse |
All women in this age group |
At routine exams |
|
Blood pressure |
All women in this age group |
Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg If your blood pressure reading is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider |
|
Breast cancer |
All women at average risk in this age group |
Yearly mammogram should be done until age 54. At age 55, switch to mammograms every other year or choose to continue yearly mammograms. All women should be familiar with the potential benefits and risks of breast cancer screening with mammograms.
|
|
Cervical cancer |
All women in this age group, except women who have had a complete hysterectomy |
Pap test every 3 years or Pap test with human papillomavirus (HPV) test every 5 years |
|
Chlamydia |
Women at increased risk for infection |
At routine exams |
|
Colorectal cancer |
All women in this age group |
Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or colonoscopy every 10 years, or double-contrast barium enema every 5 years; yearly fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test; or a stool DNA test as often as your health care provider advises; talk with your health care provider about which tests are best for you |
|
Depression |
All women in this age group |
At routine exams |
|
Gonorrhea |
Sexually active women at increased risk for infection |
At routine exams |
|
Hepatitis C |
Anyone at increased risk; 1 time for those born between 1945 and 1965 |
At routine exams |
|
High cholesterol or triglycerides |
All women in this age group who are at risk for coronary artery disease |
At least every 5 years |
|
HIV |
All women |
At routine exams |
|
Lung cancer |
Adults age 55 to 80 who have smoked |
Yearly screening in smokers with 30 pack-year history of smoking or who quit within 15 years |
|
Obesity |
All women in this age group |
At routine exams |
|
Osteoporosis |
Women who are postmenopausal |
Ask your healthcare provider |
|
Syphilis |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
At routine exams |
|
Tuberculosis |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
Ask your healthcare provider |
|
Vision |
All women in this age group |
Ask your healthcare provider |
|
Vaccine |
Who needs it |
How often |
|
Chickenpox (varicella) |
All women in this age group who have no record of this infection or vaccine |
2 doses; the second dose should be given at least 4 weeks after the first dose |
|
Hepatitis A |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
2 doses given at least 6 months apart |
|
Hepatitis B |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
3 doses over 6 months; second dose should be given 1 month after the first dose; the third dose should be given at least 2 months after the second dose and at least 4 months after the first dose |
|
Haemophilus influenzaeType B (HIB) |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
1 to 3 doses |
|
Influenza (flu) |
All women in this age group |
Once a year |
|
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) |
Women in this age group through their late 50s who have no record of these infections or vaccines |
1 dose |
|
Meningococcal |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
1 or more doses |
|
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
PCV13: 1 dose ages 19 to 65 (protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria) PPSV23: 1 to 2 doses through age 64, or 1 dose at 65 or older (protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria) |
|
Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Td/Tdap) booster |
All women in this age group |
Td every 10 years, or a one-time dose of Tdap instead of a Td booster after age 18, then Td every 10 years |
|
Zoster |
All women ages 60 and older |
1 dose |
|
Counseling |
Who needs it |
How often |
|
BRCA gene mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility |
Women with increased risk for having gene mutation |
When your risk is known |
|
Breast cancer and chemoprevention |
Women at high risk for breast cancer |
When your risk is known |
|
Diet and exercise |
Women who are overweight or obese |
When diagnosed, and then at routine exams |
|
Sexually transmitted infection prevention |
Women at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider |
At routine exams |
|
Use of daily aspirin |
Women ages 55 and up in this age group who are at risk for cardiovascular health problems such as stroke |
When your risk is known |
|
Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause |
All women in this age group |
Every exam |
1American Cancer Society