Prevention Guidelines for Men 65+

Screening tests and vaccines are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes and checkups can reduce the risk of disease. Or the goal may be to find it early to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not used to diagnose a disease. But they are used to see if more testing is needed. Health counseling is important, too. Below are guidelines for these, for men ages 65 and older. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you and to make sure you’re up to date on what you need.

Screening	Who needs it	How often
Abdominal aortic aneurysm	Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Men in this age group who have never smoked could still be offered screening, depending on their family history, medical history, or other risk factors they may have.	1 ultrasound
Alcohol use or misuse	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Blood pressure	All men in this age group	Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg If your blood pressure is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
Colorectal cancer	All men at average risk in this age group through age 75 who are in good health. For men ages 76 to 85, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you should continue screening. For men 85 and older, screening is not advised.	Several tests are available and are used at different times. For tests that find polyps and cancer: Colonoscopy every 10 years (recommended), or Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years For tests that mainly find cancer: Yearly fecal occult blood test, or Yearly fecal immunochemical test, or Stool DNA test every 3 years If you choose a test other than a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need to have a colonoscopy. Screening recommendations vary among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you. Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health history.
Depression	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	All men starting at age 45 and men without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have 1 or more risk factors for diabetes	At least every 3 years (annual testing if your blood sugar has begun to rise)
Type 2 diabetes	All men with prediabetes	Every year
Hepatitis C	At least once in a lifetime; anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
High cholesterol and triglycerides	All men in this age group	Every 4-6 years for normal-risk adults. Some people with elevated risk factors should be screened more often. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.
HIV	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Lung cancer	Men between the ages of 50 to 80 who are in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer who: Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and Have a 20-pack year history of smoking (1 pack/day for 20 years or 2 packs/day for 10 years) Expert groups vary a bit in their recommendations, so talk with your provider	Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT); talk with your healthcare provider about your risk and situation
Obesity	All adults	At routine exams
Prostate cancer	Men aged 55-69, talk to healthcare provider about risks and benefits of digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. PSA screening is not routinely recommended in men ages 70 and older.	At routine exams
Syphilis	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Tuberculosis	Anyone at increased risk for infection	Check with your healthcare provider
Vision	All adults	Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic disease, ask your healthcare provider how often you need an exam.

Counseling	Who needs it	How often
Low dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events	Men ages 45 to 69 at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease who are not at risk for increased bleeding as identified by your healthcare provider.	When diagnosed with a risk for cardiovascular disease. Discuss with your healthcare provider before starting
Diet and exercise	Adults who are overweight or obese	When diagnosed and at routine exams
Fall prevention (exercise, vitamin D supplements)	All men in this age group	At routine exams
Sexually transmitted infection prevention	Anyone at increased risk for infection	At routine exams
Tobacco use and tobacco-related disease	All adults	Every visit

Immunization	Who needs it	How often
Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Td/Tdap) booster	All adults	Every 10 years. Tdap is preferred for adults 65 and older; immunization. is advised if you have contact with a child younger than 12 months and have not had the Tdap vaccine.
Chickenpox (varicella)	All adults ages 65 and older who have no previous infection or vaccine	2 doses. The second dose should be given at least 4 weeks after the first dose.
Flu (seasonal)	All adults	Yearly, when the vaccine is available. Look for the higher dose versions of the annual vaccine. Speak with your healthcare provider about different types of flu vaccines, including the higher dose vaccine, to see which vaccine is right for you.
COVID-19	All adults	1 to 2 doses depending on the type of vaccine; talk with your healthcare provider
Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB)	People at increased risk; talk with your provider	1 to 3 doses
Meningococcal	People at increased risk	1 to 3 doses depending on vaccine and risk; talk with your healthcare provider
Hepatitis A	People at increased risk, such as travelers	2 or 3 doses depending on vaccine
Hepatitis B	People at increased risk, such as travelers and those with chronic liver disease	2 or 3 doses depending on vaccine
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)	All adults ages 65 and older	1 dose of each vaccine
Recombinant zoster Vaccine (RZV)	All adults ages 50 and older	2 doses; the 2nd dose is given 2 to 6 months after the first. This is given even if you've had shingles before or had a previous zoster live vaccine.