Routine health maintenance, or preventive health care, is an important component of primary care medicine. Several studies show small but significant health benefits to routine health checks.
[1]
Si S, Moss JR, Sullivan TR, et al. Effectiveness of general practice-based health checks: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Gen Pract. 2014 Jan;64(618):e47-53.
http://bjgp.org/content/64/618/e47
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24567582?tool=bestpractice.com
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in the US.
[2]
Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Carnethon M, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics - 2009 update: a report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2009 Jan 27;119(3):480-86.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19171871?tool=bestpractice.com
About 800,000 people die of cardiovascular disease in the US each year. Evidence supports a range of strategies to prevent cardiovascular events. Cancer is the second-leading cause of mortality in the US with over 560,000 deaths per year. The lifetime risk of developing cancer is over 50%, with most cases occurring in those over 55 years of age.
Prevention and early detection involves periodic screening of risk factors for both CVD and cancer, and targeted lifestyle interventions for CVD prevention. Specific cancer screening recommendations for average-risk adults are available for breast,
[3]
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for breast cancer. US Preventive Services Task Force final recommendation statement. Jan 2016 [internet publication].
https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/breast-cancer-screening1
cervical,
[4]
Moyer VA; US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for cervical cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012 Jun 19;156(12):880-91.
http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/1183214/screening-cervical-cancer-u-s-preventive-services-task-force-recommendation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22711081?tool=bestpractice.com
and colorectal cancer.
[5]
Bibbins-Domingo K, Grossman DC, Curry SJ, et al; US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2016 Jun 21;315(23):2564-75. [Errata in: JAMA. 2016 Aug 2;316(5):545; JAMA. 2017 Jun 6;317(21):2239.]
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2529486
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27304597?tool=bestpractice.com
American College of Physicians (ACP): screening for cancer - advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians
Appropriate treatment can then be started as early as necessary. Patients with established CVD or high risk of CVD can reduce cardiovascular events and/or mortality with multifactorial lifestyle interventions.
[6]
Blokstra A, van Dis I, Verschuren WM. Efficacy of multifactorial lifestyle interventions in patients with established cardiovascular diseases and high risk groups. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2012 Mar;11(1):97-104.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21130687?tool=bestpractice.com
Recommendations on preventive health care are available from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
USPSTF: guide to clinical preventive services, 2014
Advice regarding appropriate immunizations for adults is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[7]
Kim DK, Riley LE, Harriman KH, et al. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended immunization schedule for adults aged 19 years or older - United States, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Feb 10;66(5):136-8.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6605e2.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28182599?tool=bestpractice.com
CDC: adult immunization schedule
CDC: vaccine recommendations of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP)