Health care costs have Skyrocketed in recent years, even for people with health insurance. Many conditions, such as osteoporosis, stroke, or peripheral artery disease can be devastating financially, due to their long-term effects. The cost savings of preventative healthcare are huge, and preventative screening for many different diseases can provide you and your doctor valuable info. What can a screening tell you? Below are three conditions that can result in serious physical and financial consequences if they aren’t identified early through preventative screening.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones become porous and fragile, breaking easily. The breaks are ordinarily found at the hip or wrist, but fractures can happen anywhere in the body. Osteoporosis causes about 1.2 million fractures each year, with an estimated price of $6.1 billion yearly. With the amount of elderly rising in America, that dollar amount will steadily grow. To help prevent osteoporosis, make sure you consume adequate Amounts of calcium and vitamin D, get loads of weight bearing exercise, restrict your consumption of caffeine and sugar, and don’t smoke cigarettes. Preventive screening is extremely important, because one from every two women and one out of every four men over 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. In the screening, ultrasound will be used to examine the heel bone, which closely resembles the bone. By analysing the results, the screener will determine bone mineral density to calculate your risk.
Stroke
Strokes kill more than 160,000 annually, and leave many more disabled. The direct and indirect annual cost of strokes has been estimated at roughly $41 billion annually, with care and rehabilitation following a stroke averaging about $50,000 per individual. Luckily, up to 80 percent of strokes could be avoided if diagnosed early during testing to ascertain if you are at risk so you can get the appropriate preventive care. Preventive screening for strokes is most often performed with ultrasound technology. The screener will search for plaque build-up from the carotid artery and track the speed of blood flow also, which may indicate a narrowing of the blood vessels. If you have peripheral artery disease, which is a narrowing or Hardening of arteries in the legs, you are four to six times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke.