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Isn't it time for your annual check-up?

Here is a guide to taking care of your body at different stages of your life

ARE YOU AWARE? Each age poses specific health challenges

Watch your diet. Get plenty of exercise. Quit smoking. These are just some of the things you can do to stay healthy as you age. Just as important is monitoring your health through yearly physicals and gynaecological exams.

Women face more issues as they age — obesity, diabetes, impaired vision and cancer. But if they stay on top of their health, they're more likely to either avoid the problems or catch them early enough to make them manageable.

Women in their 20s typically aren't troubled by many health problems and, therefore, might be lulled into thinking checkups are a waste of time and money. But this is the age where you need to obtain a baseline view of your health and make sure you're as healthy as you think you are.

Some late-life diseases are the result of choices made early on. As you age, the likelihood of developing a condition or disease increases. So when you're young, for example, you may be able to eat fast-food meals without gaining weight, but you're still working against your heart and blood vessels. That can contribute to heart disease, stroke and diabetes earlier than expected.

A body mass index test and body fat analysis help determine your appropriate weight range and percentage of body fat. This is good for any age and can help determine whether you're at risk for certain health problems.

Each age poses specific health challenges and concerns. Here is a general guide of common health concerns for women.

Know your heart

If you're a woman with heart disease, chances are you might feel it in subtle ways. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over age 25, but it often goes undiagnosed because women and their doctors miss or ignore the symptoms. While a man might have traditional symptoms before a heart attack — a squeezing sensation in the chest, nausea, pain in the left arm — a woman might instead feel weak, dizzy, tired or short of breath. That's because plaque builds up differently in women's arteries, with moderate, even blockages as opposed to the large, isolated blockages that develop in men. So, insist on an EKG and a stress test.

For women in their 20s

Skin: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, accounting for about half of all cases. Women of colour are susceptible, and they are often diagnosed much later than fair-skinned women.

So, what should women do? Apply sunscreen every day. Avoid tanning booths and powerful daytime UV rays. A yearly screening for suspicious moles or discoloration, regardless of your race or ethnic background, as well as monthly self-exams is recommended.

Sexual health: Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia often have no symptoms and can prevent fertility if left untreated. If you haven't already done so, practise safe sex to protect against sexually transmitted diseases as well as unplanned pregnancies. Visit the gynaecologist at least once a year for a Pap smear — but know that Pap smears do not detect all STDs. Consult your doctor.

30s

Maternity/infertility: A 1995 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey estimated that about 7 per cent of married couples of childbearing age have experienced infertility problems. Talk to your gynaecologist about conception issues. He or she can refer you to a specialist for further treatment and advice.

40s

Vision problems: Presbyopia, the condition that leads to reading glasses, is often the 40th birthday present women didn't ask for but can't be returned for a refund. It is recommended that people aged between 18 and 40 have their eyes checked every two to three years, and people aged between 41 and 60 have their eyes checked every two years, not just for changes in vision but also for glaucoma and cataract.

Breast cancer: About one in eight women will develop breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Monthly breast self-exams can begin at any age. Women should have a baseline mammogram at age 40, or at age 35 if they have an immediate relative (mother or sister) who was diagnosed with breast cancer, and every two years thereafter until age 50. After age 50, get annual mammograms.

50s to 60s

Menopause: Menopause signals a hormonal change, and that change may affect other aspects of your health. Menopause treatments are highly tailored to the patient. Any treatment should be discussed with your doctor.

Colorectal cancer: Nine out of 10 people who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer are older than 50. Tests for blood in the stool or suspicious polyps in the colon are recommended by age 50, earlier if there is a family history of colon cancer. A colonoscopy is recommended at 10-year intervals.

Osteoporosis: In 2004, the U.S. surgeon general warned that by 2020, half of all Americans older than 50 will be at risk for fractures caused by osteoporosis, or low bone mass. Maintain your calcium intake — most women need about 1,000 milligrams per day — through diet and/or supplements. A bone density test can spot decreased bone mass.

Diabetes: Diabetes raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to research, an estimated 65 per cent of people with diabetes die of heart attack or stroke. A fasting blood sugar test should be part of your yearly physical. You can control diabetes through diet, weight management and medication. — New York Times

Vital statistics

Total cholesterol: Less than 200 (milligrams/decilitre)

LDL (`bad') cholesterol levels vary: People who are at low risk for heart disease: less than 160

People who are at intermediate risk for heart disease: less than 130

People who are at low risk for heart disease: less than 100 (some high-risk patients have a goal of less than 70

HDL (`good') cholesterol: 50

Triglycerides: less than 150

Blood pressure: less than 120/80

Fasting glucose: less than 100

Body mass index (BMI): less than 25

Waist circumference: less than 35 inches

Exercise: minimum of 30 minutes most, if not all, days of the week

— American Heart Association

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