Ten tests for better health: visit a doctor before you get sick.

• Author: Meyring, Justin

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"Congenital (birth-related) hearing loss is one of the most commonly under-recognized birth defects, ranging in the order from two to three infants per 1,000 births with moderate to profound hearing loss."

--Bryan Wachter, M.D. Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgeon Alaska Native Medical Center

While many people simply wait until illness strikes before visiting a doctor, it is always good practice to see a physician on an annual basis. Even a healthy person, or a person who feels healthy, should see a doctor regularly. The following 10 tests are all exams that can be greatly beneficial to a healthy lifestyle. The tests listed here are not gender or age specific. A primary care physician or other qualified health care professional should direct their use for appropriate patients. While these may not be the top 10 recommended screening exams, they are listed here to increase the awareness and understanding of Alaskans for the benefit and promotion of good health.

PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA)

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancers among men. Nearly 220,000 new diagnoses are expected each year, with about 27,000 expected deaths. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland, and is detected in the blood and semen. Elevated PSA levels can be the first sign of a problem, but don't necessarily mean cancer. When high levels of PSA are detected, a patient can then get a prostate biopsy to determine if anything is wrong.

The PSA test should be taken annually by men over the age of 50 in addition to digital rectal exams.

LIPID PROFILE Like the PSA, the Lipid Panel is simply a blood test. Lipids are fats and anything like fat the body can burn for energy. HDL Cholesterol (good), LDL Cholesterol (bad), and triglycerides are all lipids whose levels can be measured with a lipid panel.

Triglyceride Level Classification Less than 150 mg/dL Normal 150 to 199 mg/dL Borderline-high 200 to 499 mg/dL High 500 mg/dL Very high * table taken from www.forgottenfat.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

According to gottenfat.com, "High triglyceride levels create a greater risk for heart disease in women than men. Heart disease rates in women after menopause are two to three times higher than in women of the same age before menopause." Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America, claiming more than 650,000 lives in 2004 alone.

Will Conrad, M.D., an emergency specialist at Providence Hospital of Torrance, Calif., says, "Heart disease is still the number one killer in the U.S., and the Framingham Study has shown that Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)...