Womens Health Screenings

Heart health screenings

Heart health screenings help identify your risk for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Your primary care provider will perform tests to detect:

• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar: A screening for diabetes or its precursor, prediabetes
• High cholesterol

You should begin basic heart screenings early in adulthood to establish a baseline. Because heart disease risk increases with age, you may need additional tests as you get older.

These screenings can detect heart problems early, making it easier to manage your symptoms and make your treatment more effective. If some of your test results show any cause for concern, you can start making simple lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, to protect your heart health.

Mammograms

Mammograms are a type of health screening that can help your provider identify breast cancer early, when treatments are more likely to be successful.

Mammograms can detect breast lumps when they are too small to be felt and before you notice any breast cancer symptoms. They can also show benign (non-cancerous) conditions, such as cysts and fibroadenomas.

When you should start having screening mammograms and how often you need them depends on your risk for breast cancer. For women at average risk, it’s recommended to start annual screenings at age 40. Talk with your provider about your risk for breast cancer.