Health Matters - Apple Magazine Health Matters Spring 2016 | Page 4

Early warning
for illness
Early diagnosis
= more successful treatment
Screening tests and tools are used to detect diseases
in their early stages or diseases that don’t have visible
signs.
The screening tests and tools your primary care doctor
recommends for you and your family are often based
on your age, lifestyle and your personal and family
history.
Dr. Jim Dickinson, a family medicine professor at the
University of Calgary and a member of the Canadian
Task Force on Preventive Health Care, recommends
some tests only be taken after talking to your doctor
about the benefits and risks of the tests.
This table lists common screening tests and tools in
Alberta.
What
Who & When Notes
Screening tools
Behaviours
Smoking M/F 15 + During regular visits Your doctor will ask if you smoke or use tobacco
Height, weight & waist M/F all ages Every 2 to 5 years Your body mass index gauges many health risks
Physical activity M/F all ages Every 2 to 5 years Active living promotes health; inactive living promotes illness
Alcohol & drugs M/F 15 + Every 2 to 5 years Drinking more than the recommended limits increases risks to you and those
around you
Safety M/F all ages During regular visits Your approach to safety such as seatbelts, helmet, high-risk sports, etc.
Sun exposure/protection M/F all ages During regular visits Time in sun and use of hats, clothing and sunscreens to prevent skin cancer
Family history M/F 15 + Every 5 years Your family’s genes and experiences affect your health
Contraception & sexually
transmitted diseases M/F 15 to 50 who
During regular visits
are sexually active Pregnancy planning,
STDs can be passed to others
Vitamin D M/F 15 + During regular visits Vitamin D essential to healthy bones, teeth, muscles and nerves
Your primary care doctor can advise how much to take
Fruits, vegetables and salt M/F all ages During regular visits Eating more fruits, vegetables and less salt a boost to health
Dietary
Folate/folic acid
F planning pregnancy During regular visits

prior to and during
pregnancy
iv    Health Matters: A Calgary & Area Primary Care Networks Publication
A vitamin that prevents certain birth defects