welche untersuchungen ab 50 — what can you do yourself?

After age 50, regular preventive screenings are important and can be initiated by yourself: blood pressure monitoring, lipid panel (cholesterol, triglycerides), fasting glucose, fecal occult blood test (colorectal cancer screening), skin cancer screening, and for men PSA test after consulting a doctor. Women should schedule mammograms and gynecological exams. What you can do yourself: home blood pressure monitoring, weight management, regular exercise (at least 150 min/week), balanced diet, no smoking, moderate alcohol. DNA tests (e.g., MyBody-X) can indicate genetic risks (like APOE4 for Alzheimer’s or IL6 variants for inflammation), but effect sizes are small and not directly actionable. No genetic test replaces clinical screening. Evidence for lifestyle interventions is strong; for single gene variants it is moderate to unclear. Consult your primary care physician to determine which screenings are right for you.