Health tests every man should get in 2015

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- For the new year, many people will be mapping out their financial and vacation plans, but doctors recommend men start mapping out a health plan, too.

Dr. Elliot Felman, part of the family medicine division at Providence St. John's Health Center, said it's a rare occasion when he sees a man come in to get a check-up on his own.

"Frequently, I ask them, 'is it your wife, your mother of your girlfriend?' and more often than not they'll say, 'yeah it's one of those,'" he said.

Family physician Dr. Daniel Neides said the first thing men should have is a baseline blood test.

"If you haven't had blood work, let's say in the last three to five years, I think it would be really important for you to have a cholesterol panel, at a minimum, and a basic metabolic panel so that we can check your blood sugar," he said.

Men should not wait for any symptoms to get tested. Doctors say men older than 50 should consider a colonoscopy. If a man has a history of colon cancer in the family, he should get regular colonoscopies starting at 40 years old.

"You do it, it's done and you've saved a life and that's an amazing thing. So men who do deny this and get to the age of 50 and say, 'Well no, I'm not going to have a colonoscopy,' then they're being foolish," Felman said.

Most importantly, if a patient hasn't had his blood pressure checked in a while, it's best to set up an appointment.

"If you have evidence of elevated blood pressure, you and your doctor need to come up with ways to lower it, whether it's diet and exercise, along with medication. But whatever it is you've got to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease," Neides said.

Also, if a patient has a family history of skin cancer, or spends a lot of time in the sun, getting a skin cancer check once a year with a dermatologist is a good idea.