Between 35 and 45

There are five basic blood tests that will screen for the commonest problems. Of these tests, fasting blood sugar and lipid profile are done on an empty stomach.

I. Complete Blood Count (CBC): The CBC test includes haemoglobin count, white blood cells count, and platelet count. It indicates if you have anaemia and what kind.

II. Screening for Diabetes: Fasting blood sugar is done in the morning before breakfast. The last meal should have been at least 10-12 hours prior to the test. This is followed by the 2-hour postprandial blood sugar test. The right way to do this test is to carry breakfast to the clinic, eat it after the fasting blood is drawn and sit there for 2 hours without any physical activity.

III. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test (TSH): Women might have abnormal thyroid function without even realising it. Normally, symptoms don’t present themselves early. This test can determine if you have hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) or hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone levels).

IV. Renal Function Tests: Indians are susceptible to infections in their childhood, which might affect their kidneys without them being aware of it. This is why renal function tests are important. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels indicate whether the kidneys are functioning normally.

V. Lipid Profile: This test measures blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol levels are reported as total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL). The lipid profile is extremely important because abnormal lipid levels are an important part of the metabolic syndrome. The total cholesterol in a woman should be below 180-200mg/dL; HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol) should be well above 45 mg/dL; LDL should be below 100 mg/dL. High triglyceride levels contribute to heart disease and are a significant factor in Indians. It is considered a ‘rice eaters disease’ because it increases with the consumption of white rice and white sugar.

Screening for cancer

Blood tests apart, there are two more tests that a woman after the age of 35 should definitely undergo.

I. Pap smear: A Pap smear is a simple test where cells from the cervix (mouth of the uterus) are obtained and examined for abnormal changes. Any woman who is sexually active should have this test to screen for cervical cancer. This is one type of cancer that can be identified in the precancerous or very early stages by doing a Pap smear. It is is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Infections with HPV occur with sexual activity but not everyone infected will develop cervical cancer.

II. Breast examination: Every woman undergoing a health check-up after the age of 35 should have a breast examination. It is also important that the doctor teaches you how to perform breast self-examination. This allows you to check your breasts yourself every month and detect any abnormality early.