Recommended Regular Health Checkups and Care for Parents and Yourself

1. The Most Basic and Important Regular Follow-Up (Every Six Months)

It is recommended to regularly visit an endocrinology/metabolism clinic or family medicine clinic for follow-up.

Basic blood tests can usually be done through health insurance:

• Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin)
• Blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Blood pressure
• Kidney function (creatinine and eGFR)
• Liver function (GOT/GPT)
• Uric acid
• Urine protein (early kidney disease)
• Basic blood count (CBC)

It is also recommended to check:

• Blood tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, take medication regularly and follow up consistently

Many chronic diseases have almost no symptoms in the early stages, but over time they can damage:

• Heart
• Kidneys
• Brain
• Retina
• Blood vessels

Therefore, regular blood-test follow-up is very important.

2. Lung and Cardiovascular Checks

Low-dose chest CT (LDCT)

It can check for:

• Lung cancer
• Lung nodules
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Some coronary artery calcification conditions

It is especially suitable for:

• People with a smoking history
• People with a family history of lung cancer
• Older adults

If you do not qualify for health-insurance coverage, it usually needs to be self-paid.

Many cases of lung cancer are now found too late, so low-dose lung CT is an important early screening tool.

3. Liver Checks (Very Important)

If you have:

• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Fatty liver

You must follow up regularly.

For hepatitis B patients, it is recommended every 3-6 months to do:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) blood test

Because early liver cancer usually has almost no symptoms.

Many cases of hepatitis C can now be cured with medication.

4. Gastrointestinal Checks (Very Important for Middle-Aged and Older Adults)

It is recommended to visit a gastroenterology clinic.

Colonoscopy

Recommended:

• Regular checks after age 45-50
• Earlier checks if there is a family history

Many colorectal cancers slowly develop from polyps.

The greatest value of colonoscopy is: polyps can be removed directly during the examination.

Gastroscopy

If you have:

• Stomach pain
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Helicobacter pylori
• Family history of stomach cancer

Regular checks are recommended.

5. Eye Checks (Often Overlooked)

Older adults should regularly see an ophthalmologist.

The three most important items are:

1. Glaucoma

Glaucoma gradually damages the optic nerve.

The scary part is: there are almost no symptoms in the early stage.

But if found early, it can usually be controlled well with eye drops.

2. Macular Degeneration (OCT)

Recommended checks:

• Retinal examination
• OCT optical coherence tomography

If severe, intraocular injection treatment may be needed.

Health insurance may cover some situations.

If self-paid, one injection may cost more than about NT$20,000.

3. Cataracts

Mature cataracts can affect:

• Night vision
• Driving safety
• Fall risk

Cataract surgery is now quite mature.

For many older adults, quality of life can improve dramatically after surgery.

6. Dental and Oral Care

Teeth cleaning

Recommended every six months.

Periodontal disease is related to many chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular conditions.

Supplement: oral cancer screening

If you have:

• Smoking
• Drinking
• Betel nut chewing

You must regularly check the oral mucosa.

7. Osteoporosis and Falls (Often Overlooked by Families)

Especially after menopause in women.

Recommended:

• Bone density check
• Vitamin D
• Muscle-strength training
• Balance training

Many older adults decline rapidly not because of chronic disease, but because of falls and fractures.

8. Vaccines (Very Worthwhile)

Older adults should pay attention to:

• Flu vaccine (every year)
• COVID vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccine
• Shingles vaccine (Shingrix)

Many severe illnesses in older adults are caused by infections.

9. Important Daily Care Concepts

1. Maintain muscle mass

The older you get, the more important it becomes.

Recommended:

• Walk every day
• Resistance training
• Adequate protein intake

2. Control blood-sugar fluctuations

High blood sugar can damage:

• Blood vessels
• Kidneys
• Retina
• Nerves

Recommended:

• Less refined sugar
• Fewer sugary drinks
• Pay attention to insulin resistance
• Maintain body weight

3. Care for the eyes

• Do not stare at screens for long periods
• Rest your eyes
• Eat more dark green vegetables
• Consider an AREDS2 lutein formula

Some research suggests that instant coffee may be associated with macular degeneration risk, so the following are more recommended:

• Pour-over coffee
• Espresso

10. The Most Important Sentence

Many major diseases:

• Diabetes
• Kidney failure
• Liver cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Glaucoma
• Macular degeneration

Do not form in a single day.

What truly matters is: follow up regularly every six months to one year, and find problems early.

The greatest value of health is not only extending life, but whether one can long maintain a life with quality, dignity, and freedom of movement.

The above is provided for everyone's reference.