---
title: "Ages 50 to 74 Health Guidelines at Sutter Health"
description: "A little prevention goes a long way as you enter the prime of life. Learn what screenings you need from ages 50 to 74."
url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines/guidelines-50-to-74"
---

1.  [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) /
2.  [Health and wellness](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health) /
3.  [Preventive Care](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines) /
4.  Ages 50 to 74 Health Guidelines

# Health Maintenance Guidelines: 50 to 74 

A little prevention goes a long way as you enter the prime of life.  

[Schedule appointment](https://www.sutterhealth.org/schedule-appointment)

[Find a Doctor](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22acceptingNewPatients%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5Btrue%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_providerSpecialties.specialty.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Family+Medicine%22%2C%22Internal+Medicine%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=healthcare_professionals)

## Guidelines

**Wellness Checks**

**Screening and Tests**

**Cancer Screening** 

**Immunizations**

**Counseling and Evaluation Topics** 

**Individualized/patient-clinician shared decisions**

### Wellness Checks

Your provider will check your blood pressure, screen for healthy weight and assess your overall health. 

**Wellness Checks**

### Wellness Checks

Your provider will check your blood pressure, screen for healthy weight and assess your overall health. 

**Screening and Tests**

### Screening and Tests

-   **Blood pressure**: Your doctor will check your blood pressure annually.
-   **Bone density**: Females check starting at age 65.
-   **Cholesterol**: Checked every five years.
-   **Diabetes**: Screening depends on risk factors.
-   **Hepatitis C**: Check at least once between ages 18 to 79.
-   **HIV**: Check at least once between ages 15 to 65.
-   **Obesity**: Monitored periodically throughout adulthood.

**Cancer Screening** 

### Cancer Screening 

-   **Breast cancer**: Mammography should be performed annually.
-   **Cervical cancer screening**: A Pap test should be performed every three years. Patients can get high-risk HPV testing with or without a Pap test every five years until age 65.
-   **Colon Cancer**:  A colonoscopy should be done every 10 years, a stool fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year or a sigmoidoscopy every 10 years with annual FIT testing. Other options: A CT colonography every five years or a FIT/DNA test every three years.
-   **Lung cancer**: Adults age 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history AND currently smoke or have quit in the last 15 years should be screened annually.

**Immunizations**

### Immunizations

-   **COVID-19**: All eligible ages should receive the recommended vaccine dose and schedule per CDC, CDPH, WCHA, AAP and AAFP guidelines.
-   **Hepatitis B**: All unvaccinated adults ages 19 to 59 years and age 60 years or older with risk factors for HBV should receive two, three or four doses of hepatitis B vaccine depending on vaccine or condition.
-   **Influenza (Flu)**: Yearly vaccine.
-   **MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)**: Adults ages 50 to 59 should have at least one dose of the vaccine recorded in their chart.
-   **Pneumococcal**: Complete vaccine series with PCV20 only, PCV21 only, or PCV15 and PPSV23.
-   **Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)**: Age 50 to 74 years with certain underlying medical conditions should receive a single dose of RSV vaccine.
-   **Shingles**: All adults age 50+ should receive a two-dose vaccine series.
-   **Tdap/Td (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis/tetanus and diphtheria)**: Tdap or Tdap booster every 10 years.

**Counseling and Evaluation Topics** 

### Counseling and Evaluation Topics 

-   Alcohol use
-   Anxiety: Check through age 64
-   Depression
-   Domestic violence  
-   Preventing Falls: Start at age 65
-   Sexually transmitted infections  
-   Skin cancer  
-   Tobacco use and vaping
-   Unhealthy drug use  

**Individualized/patient-clinician shared decisions**

### Individualized/patient-clinician shared decisions

-   **Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening**: Males ages 65 to 75.
-   **Prostate cancer screening**: Ages 55 to 69.

## What to Know About DEXA Scans

A DEXA scan is a quick, painless test that helps older adults check bone strength and spot osteoporosis early, reducing the risk of fractures and helping maintain independence and mobility.

## 2026 Health Guides 

[English (PDF)](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Files/Health/2026-health-maintenance-guidelines-english.pdf)

[Spanish (PDF)](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Files/Health/2026-health-maintenance-guidelines-spanish.pdf "Spanish (PDF)")

[Chinese (PDF)](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Files/Health/2026-health-maintenance-guidelines-chinese.pdf "Chinese (PDF)")

![woman-with-female-doctor](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/medical-doctors/woman-with-female-doctor.jpg?h=1414&iar=0&w=2121)

## Find a Doctor

Sign in to our patient portal, [My Health Online](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-resources/my-health-online), to find providers and book appointments.

[See Providers](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_providerSpecialties.specialty.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Family+Medicine%22%2C%22Internal+Medicine%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=healthcare_professionals)

[Schedule appointment](https://www.sutterhealth.org/schedule-appointment)

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