Top ten medical tests you need

By Vanessa Gisquet

updated 6:13 p.m. ET May 14, 2005

Getting a diagnostic test that may help detect or monitor a disease is like getting car insurance — but better. Car insurance helps you only after something goes wrong, but the right test can prevent something from going wrong before it happens.

Most of us dislike the idea of tests. We are frightened of bad news. However, burying your head in the sand won't make cancer or high blood pressure go away. Not only can the right diagnostics save you considerable money by catching problems earlier, when they are often more treatable, but they can also help you live better and longer.

That doesn't mean you should rush out and demand a battery of tests from your doctor at the first sign of a sniffle. (If you do, don't be taken aback if your doc scribbles one word in your file: "hypochondriac." And then you'll be off to the shrink instead of the labs).

But there are a few tests that you'd be smart to push for.

Getting a stress test, which is designed to determine if there is adequate blood flow to your heart during increased levels of activity, is not a bad idea for men and women who are middle-aged, since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Another diagnostic test recommended by experts to help prevent heart disease is a simple blood test that measures C-reactive protein, a marker of the level of inflammation in the blood. That's key because too much inflammation can cause an arterial plaque to suddenly rupture, triggering a massive clot and possibly even a heart attack.

Catch diabetes early
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 18.2 million Americans with diabetes, and nearly one third of them (or about 6 million people) don't even know they have it. As a major risk factor for heart disease and other disabling conditions, diabetes is a disease that requires vigilant attention and monitoring — which is why not knowing that you have it or are prone to getting it is a particularly bad thing.

Fortunately, there are two simple tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have prediabetes: the fasting plasma glucose test and oral glucose tolerance test. Both tests tell physicians how your body metabolizes glucose — and you are not necessarily doomed if the results come back with bad news. The American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people with prediabetes can prevent the development of type II diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity. Just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, coupled with a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction in body weight, produced a 58 percent reduction in diabetes.

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