This salt alternative could help reduce blood pressure. So why are so few people usingit?

Health checks men should haveDisease or conditionWho should be tested or examined?Test or examinationFrequencyGuidelineBowel cancer (colorectal cancer)People aged 50-74 years (those at increased risk should start screening earlier – talk to your doctor)Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), also known as FIT (faecal immunochemical test)Every 2 years (may be different for people at increased risk – ask your doctor)RACGP 2016; Cancer Council Australia 2017Certain people at increased risk of bowel cancerColonoscopyDepends on the riskRACGP 2016; Cancer Council Australia 2017High blood pressurePeople aged 18 years and olderBlood pressure measurementAt least every 2 yearsRACGP 2016High cholesterolPeople aged 45 years and older; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 35 years and olderCholesterol and triglyceride blood testsEvery 5 yearsNational Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance 2012; RACGP 2016Cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and strokeRisk assessment should be done in people from the age of 45 years (35 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults)Risk assessment includes tests such as: cholesterol blood test, urine protein and albumin test, electrocardiogram (ECG), waist circumference and BMI measurementsDepends on initial risk assessment
Low risk: every 2 years
Moderate risk: every 6-12 months
High risk: regular review as advised by your doctorNational Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance 2012Dental healthPeople of all agesCheck-up with dentist or oral check (examination of the mouth, teeth and lips) with GPIn general, oral checks at least once a year. People at increased risk should have more frequent check-ups with a doctor or dentistRACGP 2016Diabetes: type 2People aged 40 years and older and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 18 and overAustralian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (questionnaire given by your doctor)Every 3 yearsDiabetes Australia 2016-17; NHMRC 2009; RACGP 2016People at high risk of type 2 diabetesFasting blood sugar (glucose) test or HbA1c test (glycated haemoglobin blood test)Every 1 to 3 years (depending on risk)Diabetes Australia 2016-17; NHMRC 2009; RACGP 2016GlaucomaPeople at increased risk of glaucoma, including Caucasian and Asian people older than 50 years; people of African descent older than 40 years; and people with a first-degree relative with glaucoma (eye checks should start 10-15 years earlier than the age their relative was diagnosed).Eye health check by optometrist or ophthalmologistRegular eye checks should be done after the first examination – your doctor will tell you how often you need to have eye checks.NHMRC 2010; RACGP 2016Hearing impairmentPeople aged 65 years and olderHearing assessmentEvery 12 monthsRACGP 2016Kidney diseasePeople at high risk, including those who: smoke; are obese; have a family history of kidney failure; have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease; have had a kidney problem in the past; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples older than 30 years.Kidney Health Check: blood pressure check; urine test to detect a protein called albumin; and a blood test to estimate kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate – eGFR)Every 1-2 yearsRACGP 2016; Kidney Health Australia 2015OsteoporosisMen older than 50 years with no history of fractures but who have certain risk factors for osteoporosis, such as: family history of osteoporosis; smoking; recurrent falls; drinking more than 2 standard drinks of alcohol per day;
vitamin D deficiency; low BMI; and low levels of physical activity.Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to measure bone densityDepends on initial scan resultsRACGP 2016; Osteoporosis Australia 2017OverweightAdults aged 18 years and overBMI and waist circumference measurementEvery 2 years for those at average risk. Every year for those at increased riskRACGP 2016Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)All sexually active people under the age of 30 yearsChlamydia testing (urine or swab test)Recommended testing frequency depends on level of riskRACGP 2016People at high risk of STIs (risk factors include age, sexual habits and local community infection rates)Chlamydia testing and possibly testing for gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitisDepends on level of riskRACGP 2016Skin cancer – melanomaPeople at average or increased riskSkin examination by your doctor or dermatologistNo set scheduleRACGP 2016People at high risk of melanoma (people with a history of melanoma and those with more than 5 moles with an unusual appearance)Skin examination by your doctor or dermatologist PLUS self-examinations of skinSkin self-examinations every 3 months.
Full body skin examinations by your doctor are recommended every 6-12 monthsRACGP 2016Testicular cancerAll menCancer Council Australia recommends that all men become familiar with the usual feel of their testicles and to see their doctor if they notice a change, lump or swellingCancer Council Australia 2015Men with a family history of testicular cancer (father or brother) or a personal history of undescended testiclesTesticular examinationNo set intervalCancer Council Australia 2015Tests which are controversial or not recommended in the general well populationProstate cancerRoutine population-based screening of all men with PSA tests is not currently recommended.

Men should discuss the risks and benefits of PSA testing with their doctor before deciding whether they should have this test. Men at average risk of prostate cancer who decide to have PSA screening tests can be offered testing from age 50 to 69.
For men older than 70, the harms of PSA screening tests may outweigh the benefits.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood testMen at average risk of prostate cancer who decide to have PSA screening should be offered testing every 2 yearsCancer Council Australia 2015; RACGP 2016Men with a family history of prostate cancer who decide to have PSA screening tests should be offered testing from 40-45 years (depending on how many close family members have been diagnosed with prostate cancer) until age 69 years.Prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood testMen with a family history of prostate cancer can be offered PSA testing every 2 yearsCancer Council Australia 2015; RACGP 2016

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