Alert
Close

You could win $50,000! First step — an easy retirement quiz. Try AARP's Perfect Path to Retirement Giveaway now!

Highlights

Open

Reebok

Members save on online purchases
and at Reebok
Outlet Stores

Brain Health & Staying Sharp

Watch AARP Live 6/20 at 10 PM ET

Tickets Icon

Tickets From Live Nation

4 for the price of 3

Technical Icon

Spanish Preferred?

Visit aarp.org/espanol

Find Your Perfect Path to Retirement

You could
win $50,000

Contests and
Sweeps

You Could Win $50,000!

Plus you’ll get free tips and tools to help you find your perfect path to retirement
See official rules.

learning
centers

Get smart strategies for managing health conditions.

 

Arthritis

Heart Disease

Diabetes

Most Popular
Articles

Viewed

Recommended

Commented

Dr Oz's 6-Month Health Plan

Month 2: Your Health Numbers

Health numbers you should know and control right away

  • Text
  • Print
  • Comments
  • Recommend

Oz Tip: Make it to age 80 and you have more than a 50 percent chance of living to 90.

Some numbers you can forget (your age, for one), but others you should know and control right away.

Spend this month getting these tests done, while still adhering to the Daily Checklist and your new diet.

Numbers You Should Know (and optimum levels)

• Blood pressure (115/75)
• Waist size (< half your height)
• HDL level (> 45)
• LDL level (< 100)
• TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) (< 2.5 mIU/L)
• Fasting blood sugar (< 95)
• Vitamin D blood level (ideally, >50 ng/l)

Tests You Need

• Colonoscopy: At age 50 and then once every 10 years
• Stress test: After age50
• PSA test: Every year (shouldbe<4ng/ml) (menonly)
• Bone density: Around menopause and then every 5 years after (women only)
• Cervical: Every 3 years(womenonly)
• Mammogram: Every year after age 50 (women only)

Tests You Can Do At Home

• Pushups & situps: Number you should be able to do in one minute:

   Pushups  Pushups  Situps  Situps
Age  (men)  (women)  (men)  (women)
50-59  15-19  7-10  20-24  15-19
60-69  10-14  5-10  15-9  10-14
70-79  6-9  4-10  10-14  7-9
80-89  3-5  2-6  6-9  4-6

Topic Alerts

You can get weekly email alerts on the topics below. Just click “Follow.”

Manage Alerts

Processing

Please wait...

progress bar, please wait

Tell Us WhatYou Think

Please leave your comment below.

You must be signed in to comment.

Sign In | Register

More comments »

Health blog

Discounts & Benefits

Being Social
bring health To Life-Visual MD

Featured
Groups

Social Security

How to strengthen Social Security for future generations. Discuss

Medicare & Insurance

Share health coverage information and experiences common to being age 50+. Join

Health Nuts

Share heart-smart recipes, fitness tips and stress relievers. Join