Updating Your Health Screenings in Your 50s, 60s and 70s

Because staying on top of check-ups is just as important as remembering where you put your reading glasses.

Why Screenings Shift After 50

Hormones, metabolism, bone turnover and immune function all change after menopause. The goal of screening is to catch small problems before they become big ones, so your “to-do” list evolves with every decade. Guidelines below pull from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and specialty societies. Always personalize with your own clinician.

Quick disclaimer: This article is for education, not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Frequency may vary based on your personal and family history.

Your 50s: Building the Baseline

Test	Usual Timing	Why It Matters
Blood pressure	Every visit or at least yearly	Hypertension often starts silently.
Lipid panel (cholesterol)	q 5 yrs (sooner if borderline)	Heart disease risk rises after estrogen drops.
Colorectal cancer screening	Start at 45-50; colonoscopy q 10 yrs, or stool tests more often	Detects polyps before cancer forms.
Mammogram	Every 1-2 yrs	Breast cancer remains the #1 cancer in women.
Bone density (DEXA)	Once in your 50s if risk factors; otherwise 65	Menopause accelerates bone loss.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)	At least once	Hypothyroidism can mimic “menopause brain.”
Skin check (dermatology or self-exam)	Yearly	UV damage is cumulative.
Vaccines	Flu yearly; COVID boosters; Tdap q 10 yrs; shingles (Shingrix) 2-dose series at 50	Immune memory wanes with age.

Consider also: depression screening, sleep apnea discussion, and an eye exam if you’re squinting at this screen.

Your 60s: Double-Checking the Foundations

Everything from your 50s plus:

Bone density: repeat every 2–5 years if osteopenic, 10 years if normal.
Diabetes A1c: every 3 years (yearly if overweight or hypertensive).
Hearing test: baseline at 60; repeat q 3 years. Untreated hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ultrasound: once between 65-75 if you ever smoked.
Pneumonia vaccine: PCV20 or PCV15 + PPSV23 per CDC schedule.
Cervical cancer: If you’ve had three negative HPV tests in the past 10 years, you may stop at 65; otherwise continue q 5 yrs.
Eye exam: glaucoma and cataract check every 1–2 yrs.

Heads-up: If you’re 60+ and had your uterus removed for benign reasons, Pap/HPV testing may not be needed—verify with your GYN.

Your 70s: Fine-Tuning, Not Forgetting

Continue blood pressure, lipids, diabetes, vision, hearing, skin.
Mammogram: Discuss stopping around 74–75 if life expectancy <10 yrs and prior screens negative; otherwise continue.
Colon cancer: It’s usually safe to stop at 75, but you may extend to 85 if you’re healthy and never screened.
Bone density: every 2–3 yrs if on osteoporosis meds, 5 yrs if stable.
Cognitive and fall risk screening: simple office tests (Mini-Cog, Timed Up & Go).
Depression & social isolation check: retirement and losses can hit hard.
Vaccines: stay current on flu, COVID and tetanus; a booster after 65 often recommended for shingles immunity longevity.

Medication review: Ask your pharmacist or clinician yearly to de-prescribe drugs that raise fall or confusion risk (e.g., some sleep aids, anticholinergics).

Making It Happen

Put screenings into your phone calendar the same day you get the results back—future you will be thankful.
Group labs: Many blood tests can be done with one stick—ask!
Bring a printed meds & supplement list to every visit (yes, even the herbal stuff).
Use your menopause app’s reminder feature to log dates and notes.

Quick FAQ

I feel great; do I really need all this?
Sadly, most heart disease and many cancers are asymptomatic early on. Screening finds them when they’re most treatable.

What if guidelines conflict?
Prioritize based on your personal risk. For example, someone with a BRCA1 mutation may start mammograms earlier and add MRI.

Telehealth okay?
Great for med reviews and mental-health chats, but you still need in-person vitals, vaccines and procedures.

References & More Reading

USPSTF Recommendations: uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
CDC Adult Immunization Schedule 2024: cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules
American Cancer Society Screening Guidelines: cancer.org
American Heart Association on Cholesterol: heart.org
National Osteoporosis Foundation: bonehealthandosteoporosis.org

Stay curious, stay screened, stay fabulous. 🩺