Washington – What preventive health measures would save the most lives for the least money? The top ranking goes to taking aspirin daily to prevent heart attacks and strokes in men over 40 and women over 50, according to a study reported Wednesday on the website of Partnership for Prevention, an alliance of health insurers, state health departments, academics and trade groups.
Below are the rest of the top 20 preventive measures in order:
2.Childhood immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis B, etc.
3.Tobacco-use screening and brief counseling by doctors.
4.Routine colorectal-cancer screening for adults 50 and older by any recognized method.
5.Hypertension screening via routine blood-pressure tests and medication if necessary.
6.Annual flu shots for adults 50 and older.
7.Immunization of adults 65 and older against bacteria that cause pneumonia and related diseases.
8.Screening and brief counseling of problem drinkers by their physicians.
9.Vision screening for adults 65 and older.
10.Cervical cancer screening for sexually active women and all women over 21.
11.Cholesterol screening for men 35 and older and women 45 and older.
12.Routine breast-cancer screening for women 50 and older and discussion with women ages 40 to 49.
13.Routine chlamydia screening for sexually active women under 25.
14.Calcium-supplement counseling for adolescent girls and women.
15.Vision screening for children under 5.
16. Routine counseling for women of childbearing age on the use of folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects.
17.Obesity screening for adults and high-intensity diet and exercise counseling for the obese.
18.Depression screening for adults.
19.Hearing-impairment screening for adults 65 and over.
20. Promotion of child-safety measures such as car seats, pool fences, bicycle helmets, poison control and prevention of scalding-water burns.
