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6. CHOLESTEROL TEST WHEN YOU NEED IT: The American Heart Association recommends that adults 20 or older have their cholesterol checked every four to six years, provided their risk remains

low. People with cardiovascular disease, for instance, may need their cholesterol assessed more often. Those taking cholesterol-lowering statins also need follow-up testing of their lipid

levels to monitor their response to the medication, typically a month or two after starting the drug.  Usually ordered by a primary care doctor during routine physical exams, the cholesterol

test is a blood test that measures several different types of lipids, or fats, in your blood — among them, total cholesterol (the total amount of cholesterol in your blood), low-density

lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol, which helps remove LDL cholesterol from your blood.  WHY YOU NEED IT: At least 48 percent of

U.S. adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, according to the heart association, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. For men, the risk starts to

climb about age 45, when 1 out of every 100 men develop signs of heart disease; by age 55, the risk has doubled, and it continues to increase. For women, the risk also goes up with age,

particularly after menopause.  Advances in home-monitoring systems, such as watches that measure heart rate, and cholesterol testing at pharmacies make it easier to track the health of your

ticker. But although these assessments are important tools for detecting elevated digits — and potential heart problems down the road — in-person testing is still important. For one thing,

your numbers don’t tell the whole story: Your doctor will also want to take your age, gender, family history and risk factors (such as smoking and diabetes) into consideration when

determining possible treatments.  NEED A NUDGE? A Cleveland Clinic survey released in February 2021 found that 42 percent of Americans put on weight during the pandemic (25 percent gained

more than 20 pounds) and three-quarters reported feeling more stressed because of COVID-19. What that means, notes doctors: While fewer of us are being checked out for heart disease or

stroke, many of us may be at greater risk for those very conditions.  7. EYE EXAM ​ WHEN YOU NEED IT: The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults get a complete eye exam at

age 40, when changes in vision usually start to appear. Those who have an eye disorder or risk factor should consult with their eye doctor about how often to get checked. Those who’ve

undergone cataract surgery, for example, need regular checkups to monitor the health of their eyes. The American Diabetes Association recommends that adults with diabetes have a dilated eye

exam every year, unless instructed otherwise. Also, if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, you should visit your eye doctor for a checkup every one to two years to make sure your vision

hasn’t changed before purchasing a new pair. Those 65 and older should schedule an exam every year or two. During a routine exam, your eye doctor will usually check your eyesight and

peripheral vision, then whip out a lighted handheld microscope (or slit lamp) to inspect the outer eye and structures at the front of the eye (such as the cornea and lens) for signs of a

cataract. For a look further inside, eye drops will be used to dilate your pupils, making it easier to examine the back of the retina and optic nerve. WHY YOU NEED IT: According to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of blindness and low vision in the U.S. are age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and

macular degeneration. It is important to diagnose them early when they are treatable or, in some cases, curable.  It’s estimated that by age 65 over 90 percent of people have a cataract, and

half of those between ages 75 and 85 have lost some vision due to a cataract, according to UCLA Health. As diabetes has become more prevalant, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy has

increased significantly over the past two decades. Glaucoma, which occurs when fluid pressure builds inside the eye, potentially damaging the optic nerve, is particularly concerning. There

are often no early symptoms, which is why 50 percent of people with glaucoma don’t know they have the disease. By age 40, about 1 in 200 have glaucoma, increasing to 1 in 8 at age 80.  NEED

A NUDGE? Annual appointments with your ophthalmologist or optometrist are critical for maintaining your vision, sure, but their benefits go well beyond keep your eyes in working order: A

close inspection of the inner workings of your orbs can reveal a host of systemic disorders — sometimes before there are symptoms anywhere else. One example: heart disease. Eye exams can

detect a number of cardiovascular conditions, such as clogged arteries, says Brian Stagg, M.D., an ophthalmologist and retina specialist at the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center.

“Sometimes we can see little plaque deposits inside the eye that have broken away from buildup on the carotid artery, which supplies most of the blood supply to the brain.” 8. HEARING TEST

WHEN YOU NEED IT: Adults over age 50 should get their hearing checked every three years, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Those who wear hearing aids may want

to be tested more often, since adjustments to the devices may be necessary over time. Tests commonly performed by an audiologist: pure tone audiometry (a series of sounds, at various pitches

and volumes, sent through headphones, to determine hearing loss) and speech testing (which gauges your ability to understand speech in noisy settings).  WHY YOU NEED IT: According to the

National Institute on Aging, approximately 1 in 3 people ages 65 to 74 have hearing loss. But presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) sneaks up gradually, which means many may not realize

there’s a problem. Indeed, in a 2017 study published in the journal JAMA, which included 2,613 people age 60 or older, researchers found that 42 percent of those who reported no hearing

trouble actually had mild hearing loss when tested.  NEED A NUDGE? Research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging found that even mild hearing loss

can triple your risk of taking a tumble, with the risk increasing by 140 percent for every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss. Why? Balance requires brain power, and those with hearing

loss use more of that gray matter to hear, which means there are fewer mental resources left to help you stay upright. What’s more, hearing issues can wreak havoc on spatial awareness

(translation: where our bodies are positioned in relation to the people and objects around them). Another eye-opener: A study from Johns Hopkins, following 639 adults for almost 12 years,

found that mild hearing loss doubled the risk for dementia — possibly by contributing to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain. 9. BONE DENSITY TEST WHEN YOU NEED IT: According to the Bone

Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, a bone mineral density (BMD) test is recommended for women at age 65 and men at 70; younger postmenopausal women, women in menopausal transition and men

50 to 69 with risk factors for fracture; men and women who have a fracture after 50 years of age; and adults with a condition (rheumatoid arthritis, for example) or who are taking a

medication associated with low bone mass or bone loss. Different types of BMD tests are available, but the most commonly used method is a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan, a

type of X-ray capable of detecting even quite small percentages of bone loss. It screens your spine, hips and wrists — common areas for fractures — as you lie on a table. It’s a fast (figure

on about 20 minutes) and painless way to measure whether you have osteoporosis or how likely you are to develop it. WHY YOU NEED IT: Throughout our life our bones are constantly renewing

themselves, with new bone being formed, replacing old bone, which is broken down. Until about age 25, the body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, and bone density increases.

Most people reach their peak bone mass in their 20s. From about age 25 to age 50, bone density tends to stay stable. After age 50, the process slows — bone mass is lost faster than it is

replaced, and bone loss often speeds up, particularly around the time of menopause. It is estimated that, on average, women lose up to 10 percent of their bone mass in the first five years

after menopause. Osteoporosis occurs when too much bone mass is lost. Bones gradually become brittle and are more likely to break. About 13 percent of Americans age 50 and older have

osteoporosis. One in 3 women and 1 in 5 men in that age group will suffer a broken bone due to the condition, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation. The risk is higher in

women because female bones typically are smaller and less dense than male bones. The risk increases at menopause, when levels of estrogen, which bolsters bones, drop. A family history can up

the odds for both sexes. NEED A NUDGE? Osteoporosis is sneaky — most people don’t realize they have it until they suffer a broken bone. In fact, fractures of the spine, the most common, are

often brushed off as back pain as a result of getting older. What’s more, notes Meryl LeBoff, M.D., an endocrinologist affiliated with Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital: “Most patients

admitted to a hospital with an osteoporotic fracture are not evaluated and treated for their underlying osteoporosis.” Early diagnosis is important because one broken bone increases the risk

of suffering yet more broken bones. Treatment can help prevent fractures, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, especially for postmenopausal women. After suffering a hip

fracture, approximately 40 percent of people are no longer able to walk independently a year later, and 1 in 3 patients age 50 and older die within a year.