Overview

Turning 50 is a good time to look beyond routine health screenings and pay attention to areas that can quietly affect long-term well-being. This guide highlights four commonly overlooked checks hearing, gum health, grip strength, and bone density and explains why discussing them with a healthcare professional can be valuable as you age.

A Personal Health Audit for 50 & Beyond: Four Checks Nobody Tells You to Book

If you're 50 or older, you probably know about the many tests and screenings you need to stay on top of your health. 

Blood pressure, cholesterol, a colonoscopy at some point, maybe a mammogram or a PSA test, depending on who you are. Doctors talk about these constantly, and for good reason. These checks are very important at this age, particularly because of a process called immunosenescence, which is the immune system gradually weakening with age.

But there's another series of personal health audits that almost nobody mentions. They're easy to overlook because they don't always feel urgent, but that's actually what makes them worth paying attention to.

Here are five places worth looking at.

How to Go About a Personal Health Audit

Before we talk about these periodic health audits, let's first talk about how it works. None of the tests we'll be talking about will require a specialist referral from day one. Most can start with a conversation at your regular primary care visit, and increasingly, that visit is with a nurse practitioner rather than a physician.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, about 87% of the nation's 461,000 licensed nurse practitioners are trained to deliver primary care.

In fact, as the role of NPs continues to grow, more working nurses are also pursuing advanced training, including an online MSN-FNP program.

The American International College notes that FNPs work in clinics, community health centers, and private practices. So, there's a good chance you'll come across one when doing your health audit. Bring up anything you've noticed, ask what deserves a closer look, and let them help you decide what comes next.

4 Health Checks to Always Do as You Get Older

So, what other health checks, apart from blood pressure, colorectal cancer, cholesterol, and diabetes, should you consider as you hit and pass 50? Here are four that are easy to overlook:

Get Your Hearing Tested, Even If You Think It's Fine

Hearing loss is one of those things that creeps in so slowly you don't even know it's there. Next thing you know, you're having to turn the TV up a notch to hear what the people are saying. 

Incidentally, hearing issues are a lot more common than many people know. As a matter of fact, data show that up to 31% of adults between 65 and 80 years have some hearing difficulty. And sometimes, this problem comes with extra problems. A study published in JAMA found that dementia prevalence was 7% higher among older adults with hearing loss.

While hearing tests will not prevent hearing problems, they let you know in time so that you can learn how to manage it properly. And it takes roughly 15 minutes.

Ask Your Dentist About Your Gums, Not Just Your Teeth

Many people think visiting the dentist is just so they can check for cavities, broken teeth, or that one filling that's been bothering you. But your gums deserve as much attention. The Illinois Department of Public Health even reported that up to 70% of older adults 65 years or older have periodontal or gum disease.

Gum disease can cause inflammation and damage the tissues and bone that support your teeth. You may even be able to detect signs of gum issues by looking in the mirror. 

But gum problems can also progress without causing dramatic symptoms at first. This is why you need regular gum examinations at the dentist. Gum checks are especially important if you have diabetes, use tobacco, or have a family history of periodontal disease.

Measure Your Grip Strength

This one sounds almost too simple to matter, but it isn't. Grip strength is actually one of the most surprisingly powerful predictors of health outcomes in older adults, and almost nobody tests it.

Weak grip strength is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and all-cause mortality. But it's not just about your hands. Grip strength is a proxy for overall muscle strength, which tends to decline gradually from age 50, especially when you're not doing much to maintain it.

The test itself takes seconds, and the clinician will typically measure it with a dynamometer. But you can also get a rough sense at home by seeing how easily you can open a tight jar, carry heavy bags, or hang from a bar.

Get Your Bones Scanned, Even If You're a Man

Osteoporosis gets talked about almost exclusively as a women's issue. That means some men may be living with low bone density without ever realizing it. As a matter of fact, the Spine Health Foundation reveals that up to one in four men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. 

Yet screening guidelines for men are not really consistent. Women have it somewhat easier here since bone density scans starting around 65 are already the norm.

Healthcare Technology Executive, Dr. Kimberly Denney, sums it up succinctly when she said in her LinkedIn post: "If you know or care for a man over 70, or over 50 with risk factors like a prior fracture, long-term steroid use, or chronic disease, then it's time to ask the right questions. Talk to their primary care provider about a DXA scan."

A Quick Reference: What to Check and Why It's Overlooked

FAQs

Isn't a regular annual physical enough to catch most of this?

Not always. A standard physical may cover things like blood pressure, weight, bloodwork, and whatever specific concerns you bring up. But many of the checks discussed above aren't automatically part of a general checkup.

At what age should these become a priority?

Your 50s are a good time to start considering these health checks. And no, none of them need to wait until symptoms show up, since several of these conditions, like gum disease and osteoporosis, do their damage silently before symptoms appear at all.

Do I need to bring these up myself, or will my doctor mention them?

It's better to bring them up yourself. Appointments are short, and clinicians tend to focus on what's urgent or what you've flagged. None of the checks here are wrong to ask about, and a good healthcare professional will welcome the initiative.

Conclusion

The obvious health checks that you know of matter, and nobody's saying to skip them. But a full picture of your health after 50 includes some often-overlooked areas too. We've discussed some of them in this guide. None of these take much time or money. They just take asking.