Wellness: Well is it worth it? Bonnie C. Carter, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. ProCare Center for Family Mediicine 1940 E. 42nd Street Odessa, Texas
Question #1 What is the #1 killer of men?
…but seriously… Heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women in the U.S., as well as the world. 614,348 deaths in 2016 in U.S. 23.4% of deaths
An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol Eat a diet low in salt, refined sugars, saturated fats; and high in fresh fruits and vegetables Exercise regularly Avoid excess alcohol Quit Smoking! Reduce stress
Cancer #2 cause of death Lung #1 for both men and women Prostate, breast #2 Colon #3 for both Is it preventable?
Prevention Strategies for Cancer 1/3 of cancer diagnoses are linked to obesity and sedentary lifestyles Cigarette Smoking Vaccine preventable—HPV, Hepatitis B Risky lifestyles (HIV, Hepatitis, HPV) Protecting skin from sun and avoiding tanning—3 million cases of skin cancer per year Getting routine screening as scheduled
Preventative Screening Recommendations: Screening colonoscopy beginning at age 50 (sooner for those with family history) Mammogram annually starting age 45, but can begin at age 40. PSA—very controversial. Not recommended by U.S.P.S.T.F. PAP smear recommended every 3 years for women 21 to 65 years old. Do not recommend under 21 or over 65 without high risk. Do not recommend routine HPV testing under age 30
What to expect at an annual physical:
DISCLAIMER: There will be lots of questions to update your history and identify symptoms!
Physical Vital signs—help to identify overweight, high blood pressure, etc. Exam—varies depending on patient need. Very least will include heart, lungs, abdominal exam, head and neck. May include PAP/pelvic for women, testicular for men, and rectal exam if indicated. Labs—glucose, blood count, kidney function, liver function, cholesterol. USPSTF recommends one time hepatitis panel for people born between 1945-1965 for Hep C. Other tests as indicated by risk factors and findings.
Question #2 What percentage of Americans living with chronic disease (133 million) are unaware of their condition?
Answer: 1/3 That’s 43,890,000 people in the U.S. walking around with a chronic disease (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroid, etc.), and they don’t even know it!
True or False? You’re more likely to survive a crash if you don’t wear a seatbelt
Approximately 30,000 people are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents Of those, more than half of the fatalities were not wearing a seatbelt (53-59%)
True or False (cont) Staring directly at the sun will cause permanent damage
What action spreads the most germs to another person?
Hand-washing is the number 1 thing to reduce the spread of germs, especially during flu season
The most important thing the annual physical does is strengthen the doctor-patient relationship