May 22, 2025 10 Key Screenings

How to catch major health problems when they’re most treatable—or even preventable.

When patients visit his office for the first time, Angel Lazo Jr., MD, FACP, asks them this question: Do you know the most common health risk in your age group?

“Most of the time, they don’t know the answer,” says Dr. Lazo, an internal medicine specialist at Jersey City Medical Center and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “My role as a primary care physician [PCP] is to educate patients on their biggest health risks, then help them take steps to prevent such problems from happening.”

For most adults, heart disease and cancer are the most common risks, with diabetes and stroke close behind. Key measures to prevent these and other conditions include not only seeing your PCP for annual wellness checks but also keeping up with important recommended screenings like these.

Heart Disease Screenings

1. Lipid Profile – This blood test checks your cholesterol (total, LDL and HDL) and triglyceride levels, which are key risk indicators for heart attack or stroke. While diet plays an important role in lipid levels, “patients often don’t realize that many lipid disorders are genetic,” Dr. Lazo says.
   When to get it: At least every five years for men age 35-plus and women age 45-plus at normal heart disease risk; earlier if you're at increased risk.
2. Blood Pressure – Measuring the pressure in your arteries as your heart pumps by using an inflatable cuff helps detect hypertension, a major risk factor for stroke and heart and kidney disease.
   When to get it: At least annually after age 40; more often if your reading is above 120/80 or if you’re at increased risk.
3. Blood Glucose – People with diabetes have high levels of glucose (sugar) in their blood and are at high risk for atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can cause heart attacks. “On average, a 50-year-old with diabetes will have the arteries of a 65-year-old,” Dr. Lazo says. A blood glucose screening known as a hemoglobin A1c test gives you a three-month average of blood sugar that can identify early signs of diabetes. You can reverse the developing condition if you catch it soon enough.
   When to get it: Every three years from ages 35 to 70; more often if you’re overweight or obese or have other risk factors.

Other Considerations

Dr. Lazo recommends that people with symptoms of heart disease—or those at high risk of it—ask their PCP for an EKG (electrocardiogram) and/or a cardiac stress test. “Those tests are good ways to detect signs of significant coronary artery disease,” Dr. Lazo says.

Cancer Screenings

1. Mammogram – Mammograms can find breast cancer in its earliest and most readily treatable stages.
   When to get it: Women should begin getting mammograms at age 40 and continue annually. Women at high risk should speak to their physician about increased frequency.
2. Colorectal Cancer Test – A colonoscopy or a stool-based test can help find early signs of colorectal cancer. An increase in younger people getting colorectal cancer has led to changes in screening guidelines.
   When to get it: Individuals at average risk of colorectal cancer should begin regular screening at age 45. Those at higher risk should speak to their doctor about getting screened sooner. Ask your PCP which type of screening test will benefit you most.
3. Cervical Screenings – Pap tests and human papillomavirus (HPV) screenings (often done together) collect cells from the cervix to find abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cervical cancer.
   When to get them: Women should receive regular screenings between ages 25 and 65; consult your PCP or OB-GYN at your annual physical.
4. PSA Test – A prostate-specific antigen blood test detects a protein in the blood that, at elevated levels, may be evidence of prostate cancer.
   When to get it: Men at average risk should speak to their health care provider to discuss the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening starting at age 45. If you are African American or have a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age 65, you should talk to your health care provider about screening beginning at age 40.
5. Low-Dose CT Scan – This computed tomography test checks for lung nodules—signs of lung cancer that X-rays can’t see as well.
   When to get it: Annually for people ages 50 to 80 with a 20-pack-year smoking history. A pack year is the packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked.

Other Considerations

While no screening test exists for ovarian cancer, Dr. Lazo recommends that women let their PCP or OB-GYN know if they have symptoms such as indigestion, constipation, diarrhea or heartburn. “Those are potential early warning signs of ovarian cancer,” he says

Additional Screenings

1. Sexually Transmitted Disease Tests – Blood tests can target HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. “Syphilis in particular has been linked to increased risk of dementia as you age,” Dr. Lazo says. In addition, a vaccine against HPV is recommended as early as age 9; consult a doctor if over age 26.
   When to get them: Annually if you’re sexually active.
2. DEXA Scan – Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a low-dose X-ray that measures bone mineral density. Knowing how dense bones are can lead to steps that help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and prevent fractures.
   When to get it: At least every two years for women age 65 and older, as well as for women younger than 65 who have undergone menopause.

Other Considerations

Be sure to share STD test results with partners to help prevent the spread of any diseases that come up positive.

To learn about your own health risks, make an an appointment with a primary care provider at RWJBarnbas Health.