Essential Health Screenings All Women Should Have Done

Lipid Panel Blood Test

Lipids are a category of fats that play an important role in healthy cell function: energy sources. A lipid panel blood test is necessary to measure the levels of different lipids in an individual's blood, which in turn helps determine their risk of developing or currently having cardiovascular disease. Lipid panels are also used when patients already being treated for cardiovascular disease to monitor how well treatment is progressing. Adults who don't have any present risk factors should get a screening panel done once every four to six years. If an individual does have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, they should get monitoring panels done at regular intervals, during any cardiovascular treatment, or if their previous results indicated high lipid levels. The test is done by obtaining a blood sample. Patients will generally need to fast for nine to twelve hours before the test.

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Bone Density Test

Of the ten million individuals affected by osteoporosis, approximately eighty percent are women. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the individual's bones become quite brittle. In the five to seven years following menopause, women can lose up to thirty percent of their bone mass. A bone density test is the only test out there with the ability to accurately detect osteoporosis before a fracture or break occurs. Bone density tests require patients to lie on a table while X-rays scan their wrists, hips, and spine to measure vitamin D and calcium levels.

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