With 2023 officially here, many people are kicking off their New Year’s resolutions — now is the perfect time to make sure you’re prioritizing your health.
“I encourage everyone to put their health first as a New Year’s resolution,” Marianne Sumego, MD, primary care physician with Cleveland Clinic said. “The good news is that it’s one resolution we can keep simply by scheduling a doctor’s appointment.”
Dr. Sumego notes there are several routine medical screenings adults should be keeping up with in the new year. She stresses a lot of people don’t know they have high cholesterol, but they can find out through a simple blood test.
Dr. Sumego said getting your cholesterol checked will let you know if you need to make any changes to avoid serious health issues like a heart attack or stroke.
When it comes to diabetes, keeping tabs on your blood glucose levels is important to show if you have any risk of developing the disease.
According to Dr. Sumego, knowing if you have prediabetes is crucial so you can make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. A visit to your doctor can also help you stay on top of cancer screenings. For example, people with an average risk of colorectal cancer should start getting colonoscopies at 45 years old.
Above all, Dr. Sumego said people shouldn’t put off going to the doctor even if they haven’t reached specific health goals yet.
“My patients often wait because they want to quit smoking or they want to lose weight before they see me. I stress these are long-standing goals and not good reasons to delay care,” Dr. Sumego said. “Knowing where you’re at when it comes to things like your cholesterol, blood pressure and weight can help drive you to make healthy changes.”
Dr. Sumego adds that your healthcare provider can help you set different health goals and work with you to reach them.