This Father's Day, Make Sure Dad is Watching His Health With These Key Health Tips
June 13, 2019Categories: Primary Care, Urology
Tags: Primary Care, Urology
MAYWOOD, IL – With Father's Day 2019 coming up, now is a good time for dads to take stock of their health and make sure they're current on screening tests for leading diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
"The earlier we diagnose conditions, the more successfully we can treat them," said Loyola Medicine primary care physician Michael Gill, MD, PhD.
Dr. Gill recommends men undergo the following screening tests, based on guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other expert bodies:
Body Mass Index Screening
This is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A BMI under 18.5 is underweight. Normal is 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight is 25 to 29.9 and obese is over 30. BMI should be checked yearly.
Learn more about BMI and Loyola's BMI calculator
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Men should be screened beginning at age 50. The gold standard is a colonoscopy. Other screening exams include a yearly fecal occult blood test (which can find blood in the stool) or, every five years, a fecal blood test combined with an exam called a sigmoidoscopy, which examines the lower part of the colon.
Learn more about prostate cancer screenings
Diabetes Screening
Men with risk factors such as a family history of diabetes, being overweight, or experiencing diabetic symptoms should be screened with a fasting blood test that measures the amount of blood sugar.
Hearing Screening
If a patient or his spouse reports a hearing problem, or if the patient works in a job with excessive noise, Dr. Gill will order a hearing test.
High Blood Pressure Screening
Every man over age 18 should have his blood pressure checked at least once a year.
Cholesterol Screening
Men ages 20 to 35 who have cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes should be screened. After age 35, men should be screened once every five years if normal, or more often if levels are borderline.
Prostate Cancer Screening
Beginning at age 55, men should discuss with their physicians the pros and cons of the PSA prostate cancer screening test and jointly decide whether the test is appropriate for them.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
This is a bulge in the large blood vessel that supplies the abdomen and lower body. If it ruptures, it will cause severe bleeding that often is fatal. Men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked should be screened with an ultrasound.
Screenings for Other Conditions
Dr. Gill also screens men for depression, smoking and alcohol abuse and talks to men about controlling their weight, getting enough physical activity and avoiding risky sexual behavior.
"Do your best to stay healthy," Dr. Gill advises fathers. "It's a big part of being a good dad."
Loyola's primary care physicians provide patients with custom care for conditions ranging from common ailments to chronic diseases.
Dr. Gill, who is trained in internal medicine and pediatrics, sees patients of all ages at the Loyola Medicine Park Ridge.
About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, the Nancy W. Knowles Orthopaedic Institute, a certified comprehensive stroke center, transplant center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter).
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at www.trinity-health.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).