The best way to protect your long-term health and prevent illness is to catch potential problems early, so add these screenings to your health calendar.
Blood pressure
Starting at the age of 18, you should have a blood pressure test annually to screen for high blood pressure as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, about one in three people over the age of 15 suffers from high blood pressure (hypertension), which is one of the leading causes of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and premature death. High blood pressure develops when the walls of the larger arteries lose their natural elasticity and become rigid, and the smaller blood vessels become narrower.
BMI
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. This is an important measure since being overweight or obese can place you at risk for many chronic diseases.
Clicks Clinic Sister Praxcia Phillips says, “Screenings can help you prevent or identify chronic conditions early so you can live a healthy lifestyle.” If your BMI is on the high side, take action by making small simple changes to eating patterns and activity levels. One study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that for every kilogram of weight loss, there was a 16% reduction in risk for type 2 diabetes.
Cholesterol
Some cholesterol is necessary to build healthy cell membranes and protect nerve cells in your brain, but whatever the body doesn’t use can be harmful. The “bad” cholesterol (LDL) accumulates on artery walls, sabotaging blood flow to your heart and triggering inflammation. The “good” form (HDL) removes excess cholesterol. You can raise HDL through exercise, but you should still have regular screening tests, particularly if you smoke or have high blood pressure (hypertension), are overweight, have diabetes or a family history of heart disease.
Blood sugar
High blood glucose levels can damage the blood vessels of the heart, leading to atherosclerosis (fatty deposits that can block artery walls), which could lead to angina, a heart attack or heart failure.
Generated by the carbohydrates you eat, blood sugar (or glucose) is a major source of your body’s fuel. To use this fuel for energy, your body needs the hormone insulin to take sugar from the blood into the cells. With type 2 diabetes, the cells either can’t use insulin or the body doesn’t produce enough of it. Glucose then builds up, creating problems for vital organs and systems, including your heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. In its early stages, diabetes often goes unnoticed: You might feel thirstier and hungrier than usual, become tired and irritable more easily, lose weight rapidly or have to make more trips to the bathroom.
HIV
The only way to know your HIV status for sure is to get tested. You should test for HIV routinely from the time you are sexually active.
Tests most commonly used to diagnose HIV infection are those that detect HIV antibodies. Antibodies are small proteins made by your immune system whenever a new infection invades the body. HIV antibodies are present in blood and in lower concentrations in other body fluids such as saliva. HIV antibodies can usually be detected four to six weeks after infection; and for this reason antibody tests will only become positive about six weeks after infection. (In some cases it may take much longer.)
Get screened at your Clicks Clinic
Contact your nearest Clicks Clinic here to book an appointment to for these vital health checks.
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