8 medical tests and screenings you should schedule as you age

As you get older, it's vital to stay on top of your health. Here are eight of the most common medical tests and screenings you may want to talk to your doctor about.

How hard your blood flows against vessel walls can be indication of your overall health and well being.

• Getting it checked out regularly is a super way of keep tabs of how your body is doing in general, and an area you don't want to ignore for too long.
• You should get it checked every time you visit the doctor, but keep in mind that factors like exercise, stress, diet and medications can alter the numbers so you may want to get multiple readings.

Having high levels of cholesterol, especially HDL (the "bad" kind), can lead to kidney or heart problems.

• Once you hit your mid-30s, you'll want to get your cholesterol level checked about once every five years.
• If your readings are poor, then your doctor may want to monitor your cholesterol levels more closely and often.

Getting a colonoscopy isn't exactly a pleasant procedure, but it's necessary in staying on top of screening for colon-related cancers, especially if colon cancer runs in your family.

• If that's the case, you can start getting them under the age of 50; otherwise, one every 10 years may be all you need.
• A stool test should be performed yearly, while a flexible sigmoidoscopy falls in between at being needed every five years.

You may be a superstar at brushing and flossing your teeth, but you should still be visiting your dentist roughly twice a year.

• Not only will teeth cleanings help, but your dentist can also perform x-rays to see deeper inside your mouth.
• Dentists can also tell if you're at risk of other diseases in your body based on the condition of your teeth and gums.

Once you reach your adult years, your eyesight usually stabilizes until you start reaching your middle-age years.

• You should still pencil in an eye exam once every year to three years just to make sure everything's operating as normal.
• If you're at risk of vision problems or glaucoma, then switch the pencil to a pen and have them checked more often.

For women, especially those at risk of breast cancer, a monthly self breast exam should be performed.

• Mammograms typically take place after you turn 40 and occur once every year or two years, and possibly more often if breast cancer runs in your family.
• Although cases of breast cancer in men are rare, they should still keep an eye out to see if any changes develop.

As adults age, bones tend to lose calcium and strength, decreasing bone density and increasing the risk for osteoporosis.

• Talk to your doctor to see if a bone density scan is needed, especially if you have brittle bones or are middle- or senior-aged and have suffered a fracture.

This one applies only to men and once they reach the age of 50, they should start scheduling prostate exams with their doctor to screen for cancer or other abnormalities.

• A blood test is the most common way to screen for prostate cancer and is performed every year.
• Special focus given to African-heritage men and men for whom this cancer is genetic.