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Health Screening Guidelines, Men Ages 40 to 49

Screening tests and health counseling are a key part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help you reduce your risk of disease.

Below are guidelines for men ages 40 to 49. Talk with your healthcare provider. Make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.

We understand gender is a spectrum. We may use gendered terms to talk about anatomy and health risk. Please use this information in a way that works best for you and your healthcare provider as you talk about your care.

Screening

Who needs it

How often

Alcohol misuse

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Blood pressure

All men in this age group

Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.

Depression

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

All men ages 35 to 70 with no symptoms who are overweight or obese.

At least every 3 years (yearly if blood sugar has begun to rise)

BMI (body mass index)

All men in this age group

Every year, to help find out if you are at a healthy weight for your height

Type 2 diabetes

All men with prediabetes

Every year

Hepatitis C

All adults ages 18 and older at least once in a lifetime.

Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how often to have hepatitis C screening.

High cholesterol or triglycerides

All men in this age group

At least every 5 years; or at least every 1 to 2 years for men ages 45 to 65. Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk and how often you should be tested.

HIV

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Obesity

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Prostate cancer

Starting at age 45, talk with your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of these:

 

  • A digital rectal exam

  • Prostate-specific antigen screening

 

At routine exams

Colorectal cancer

Men age 45 and older at average risk

Talk with your healthcare provider about which test below is right for you:

  • Colonoscopy every 10 years

  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or every 10 with yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) stool test

  • CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

  • Yearly fecal occult blood test

  • Yearly FIT

  • FIT-DNA test (also referred to as stool DNA test) every 3 years

If you have a test that is not a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need a colonoscopy.

You may need to be screened more or less often. This is based on personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider.

Syphilis

Men who are at higher risk for infection. Talk with your healthcare provider.

At routine exams

Tuberculosis

Men who are at higher risk for infection. Talk with your healthcare provider.

Talk with your healthcare provider

Vision

All men in this age group

Baseline screening at age 40. Talk with your healthcare provider about how often to have vision exams.

Health counseling

Who needs it

How often

Diet and exercise

Men who are overweight or obese

When diagnosed, and then at routine exams

Sexually transmitted infection prevention

Men who are at higher risk of infection. Talk with your healthcare provider.

At routine exams

Use of tobacco and health effects it can cause

All men in this age group

Every exam

Online Medical Reviewer: Rita Sather RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Susan K. Dempsey-Walls RN
Date Last Reviewed: 8/1/2024
© 2000-2024 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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