--- title: "Ages 75+ Health Guidelines at Sutter Health" description: "Screening guidelines often change after age 75. Learn which screenings are recommended — and which ones may be optional." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines/guidelines-75-older" --- 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 75+ Health Guidelines # Health Maintenance Guidelines: 75+ Screening guidelines often change after age 75. Learn which screenings are recommended — and which ones may be optional. [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. - **Hepatitis C**: Check at least once between ages 18 to 79. - **Obesity**: Monitored periodically throughout adulthood. **Cancer Screening** ### Cancer Screening - **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 adults age 60+ 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. - **Pneumococcal**: Complete vaccine series with PCV20 only, PCV21 only, or PCV15 and PPSV23. - **Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)**: Age 75 and older 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)**: Adults should receive a Td or Tdap booster every 10 years. **Counseling and Evaluation Topics**  ### Counseling and Evaluation Topics  - Alcohol use - Depression - Domestic violence - Preventing falls: Start at age 65. - Sexually transmitted infections   - Skin cancer   - Tobacco use including vaping - Unhealthy drug use   **Individualized/patient-clinician shared decisions** ### Individualized/patient-clinician shared decisions - **Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening**: Males ages 65 to 75. - **Breast Cancer Screening**: Age 75+. - **Colon Cancer Screening**: Ages 76 to 85. ## 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 "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-doctor-and-older-man](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/medical-doctors/woman-doctor-and-older-man.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) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Ages 75+ Health Guidelines at Sutter Health","description":"Screening guidelines often change after age 75. Learn which screenings are recommended — and which ones may be optional.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines/guidelines-75-older","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines/guidelines-75-older#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines/guidelines-75-older#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Health and wellness","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Preventive Care","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preventive-care-guidelines"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Ages 75+ Health Guidelines"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Bone Density Testing: What to Know About DEXA Scans","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/af86ccde-e38e-4c5d-b327-c132985b51e9/2c19844b-be4f-4850-a0eb-c16d7f0d1363/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2025-11-25T17:20:52.840Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6385574550112","description":"Learn what a DEXA scan is, why it matters for bone health, and what to expect during the test. This quick guide helps patients feel informed and prepared.","duration":"PT3M29S","transcript":"[MUSIC PLAYING]\nANDREW HUDNUT, M.D.: I love the engagement\nthat this test can create, and I love the motivation and in\nmany ways the empowerment.\nThat puts it back in your hands.\nDEXA scan is a test that allows us\nto measure the strength of the bones,\nand it puts people very quickly into one of three buckets.\nYou either have normal strength; you\nhave weakness of the bones, osteopenia;\nor you have significant weakness of the bones, osteoporosis.\nThose are very strongly predictive of future fractures\nin the spine, future fractures in the hips.\nJEANNETTE TAN: Osteoporosis is not just bone density.\nIt's also bone quality.\nHowever, quality is tougher to measure.\nDensity is what we use as far as an actual specific number.\nSo a DEXA scan isn't particularly important\nbecause it produces that number.\nWe know exactly what your bone density is.\nWe can say we want to use pharmacological agents\nto then improve that score.\nANDREW HUDNUT, M.D.: We are excellent at getting\nthe screening DEXA scans.\nMost people expect somewhere in their 60s as a woman to get\na bone density study.\nA menopausal woman who has a fracture\nshould get a DEXA scan within six months.\nThat is an opportunity to identify\nan undiagnosed, untreated condition.\nKIMBERLY GILLAM-BAYNE: A typical DEXA scan\nconsists of scanning the lower back and hips.\nAnd sometimes we will use a forearm as well.\nThis is not like an MRI or a CT.\nYou're not going to be enclosed in a tube.\nYou can breathe and relax.\nAnd it's fairly quick.\nTypically, a scan from start to finish,\nfrom registration to end, will probably\nbe about 30 minutes because we do need the patient to undress.\nWe need to get their information and then complete the scan.\nJEANNETTE TAN: I always like to share with my patients\nthat DEXA scans are very safe.\nEssentially, there are about 10% of the radiation you would get\nfrom a standard chest x-ray.\nSo the risks are very, very low.\nKIMBERLY GILLAM-BAYNE: No pain, no injections, no loud noises--\nvery simple, very quick.\nJEANNETTE TAN: We will be done with it before you even know.\nYou'll just lay on the table, relax for a few minutes,\nand then be on the rest of your day.\nANDREW HUDNUT, M.D.: It is a rare experience for an insurance\ncompany to put up any barriers to testing for osteopenia\nand osteoporosis after you've had a fracture when\nyou are 60 and older.\nJEANNETTE TAN: Ideally, it should\nbe a preventative measure.\nUnfortunately, though, because osteoporosis is often\na silent disease, we determine patients have osteoporosis,\noftentimes after a fracture.\nThe reason why it's important to get a DEXA scan,\nparticularly after a fracture, is now we\nhave a measuring tool to gauge what your bone health actually\nis.\nWe can then create treatment plans\nto help improve that density.\nANDREW HUDNUT, M.D.: It's actually\na very different treatment pattern after a fracture\nif you have normal bones versus osteopenia versus osteoporosis.\nSo the benefit of this test is it really\nallows people to know which path they're on,\nand that becomes very motivational.\nJEANNETTE TAN: It would be nice to get ahead\nof your bone health.\nSo if you can talk to your primary care provider ahead\nof time to minimize your risk factors early on, things\nthat you can modify, that would be great.\nWe're all here to take care of the patient."} ```