Your Heart: Five Numbers To Know


As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That applies more than ever to women’s health. Medicare and most private health insurance plans are now required to cover preventive services when provided by a health care provider in your network.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. The well-woman visit should have a special emphasis on detecting the early signs of heart disease and is an opportunity to help women lower the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Establish a Healthy Lifestyle
A well-woman visit is an annual physical exam and discussion about your health and helps identify serious health concerns before they become life threatening – such as heart disease and stroke. It’s tailored to a person’s age, family history, past health history and need for preventive screenings.

Minimize Health Risks
During a well-woman visit, the provider will check vital signs, determine body mass index, check the abdomen and lymph nodes, and make an overall health assessment. Many, but not all, women will have a pelvic examination and a clinical breast examination. Providers may also include gender-neutral screenings such as colon cancer screening, obesity screening and immunizations.

Schedule Your Visit Every Year
There are lots of good reasons to schedule your visit! Going several years between physical exams can increase the risk of a health problem going undetected and causing the body far more damage than if it was caught early. Annual exams also strengthen the patient/provider relationship.