Health screenings – Information that could save a life

The Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative website, healthybr.com, includes a thorough rundown of the many health screenings you should be aware of, plus links to the providers that offer them in Baton Rouge. Here are some of the basics:

A blood glucose test measures the amount of sugar called glucose in a sample of blood. The finger is pricked by a small needle and blood is collected to obtain the blood sample that will be inserted into a handheld machine called a glucometer, which is used to measure the amount of glucose in the blood sample. In order to obtain the most accurate results you should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the glucose test. This test should be done if you have signs of diabetes or are at risk of becoming diabetic. The blood glucose test is also used to monitor patients who have diabetes.

A cholesterol test measures the amount of total cholesterol that is contained in a sample of blood. The finger is pricked by a small needle and blood is collected to obtain the blood sample that will be inserted in a machine, which is used to measure the amount of cholesterol that is present in the blood sample. A cholesterol test is different than most tests in that it does not diagnose a disease but is used to estimate the risk of developing a disease such as heart disease. Cholesterol testing is considered part of preventive health care. All adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol tested at least once every five years.

People with a history of cigarette smoking have a high risk of lung cancer. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase your risk. Your best chance at beating cancer is early detection. If you are over 50, consider getting a lung screening. For more information, call the Lung Cancer Screening Clinic at Mary Bird Perkins Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center at (225) 215-1515. The screening test is performed with a low-dose spiral (helical) CT. The CT scanner rotates around your body while you lie still on a table that passes through the center of the scanner.

Women 40 and over should get mammograms every year, and women younger than 40 should receive a clinical breast exam every year. You can find out more about mammography through Woman’s Hospital, which uses a multiple mammogram review policy, providing the most thorough screening process available. Each mammogram is reviewed by two doctors and a computer-aided detection system to ensure the highest accuracy possible. Call (225) 924-8391 to schedule a mammogram. In Ascension Parish, the Women’s Health Center at St. Elizabeth Hospital offers state-of-the-art screening in a spa-like environment. Call (225) 743-2414 for information. Finally, Mary Bird Perkins Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center provides free breast cancer screenings periodically as part of its community outreach. Call (225) 215-1234 or toll-free (888) 616-4687 for information.

Women have the greatest risk for osteoporosis after menopause, due to a decrease in estrogen, which helps prevent bone loss. Talk to your doctor about how often to screen for osteoporosis; this timing depends on your age and health history. You can find out more about osteoporosis screening and schedule a screening appointment at Woman’s Hospital by calling (225) 924-8391.

Screenings should take place once per year. Baton Rouge General Hospital sometimes has free skin cancer screening opportunities, which if available are listed on the hospital’s calendar at brgeneral.org (click on “Events”). Mary Bird Perkins Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center also provides free skin cancer screenings periodically as part of its community outreach. Call (225) 215-1234 or toll-free (888) 616-4687 for information.

Baton Rouge General offers free prostate cancer screenings for men over 50 and for those at high risk, including African-American men and younger men with a family history of cancer. These screenings are conducted by trained clinicians and are open to the community free of charge. For more information about the next prostate cancer screening call (225) 763-4281 or email [email protected].