How do you want to feel 20 years from now? Dr. James Aw, the medical director of Medcan Clinic in Toronto, wants baby-boomer financial advisors to ask themselves that question — because those who are regularly screened for cancer, diabetes and heart disease will be healthier down the road than those who are not.

“Always try to be a couple of steps ahead,” says Aw. “Clogged arteries don’t happen overnight.”

When people don’t feel any pain or illness, they often neglect their health. But trouble may be brewing.

“Before you have symptoms, you may be a high-powered executive with high stress, a poor lifestyle, high cholesterol and untreated high blood pressure, which means a higher risk of cardiovascular disease,” he says. “Financial advisors are typically motivated, successful people who often don’t take time off work. They may neglect their own health as a cost of their occupation.”

Health suddenly starts to be important to people in their 50s and 60s. “A light bulb goes on when they start thinking about the next 20 years,” says Aw. “They realize they have to invest in their health so their quality of life will be good later on.”

But they should be thinking about prevention while they are still young and healthy. “People come in at 50 and say, ‘How can I be a healthy 70-year-old?’” he says. “But they don’t come in at 30 and ask how they can be a healthy 50-year-old.”

The first step toward disease prevention is an annual general checkup with your doctor. There is evidence that executives who participate in annual medicals have fewer short-term disability claims than those who don’t see a doctor regularly.

Tests that are important for baby boomers include screening for cardiovascular disease by assessing cholesterol, lipids and blood pressure. Diabetes screening may also be recommended. Annual checkups are also a good time for doctors to measure waist circumference and body mass index, and to give positive messages about a nutritional diet and regular exercise, as well as giving up smoking.

Cancer screening is also vitally important to catch the disease at an early stage, when it is treatable. “It is important that people are screened to increase chances of successful treatment,” says Patti Payne, senior advisor of prevention at the Canadian Cancer Society in Toronto.

Recommended frequencies of different types of cancer screening vary by province. Guidelines are available on the Canadian Cancer Society’s Web site at www.cancer.ca or by calling 1-888-939-3333.

It is recommended that women who are at average risk of breast cancer (that is, they don’t have a family history or other risk factors) and are between the ages of 50 and 69 have mammography and a clinical breast exam every two years. If an abnormality is found, the next step may be taking additional views, having a biopsy or surgical removal of the lump.

Women should also have a Pap test every one to three years to screen for cervical cancer; abnormal cells can be removed through a colposcopy. “Regular Pap tests can save your life,” says Payne.

Colorectal screening is important for both men and women. This is done using a fecal occult blood test, which can identify polyps. “Colorectal cancer screening can be life-saving,” says Payne. “If caught early, chances of success are amazingly good.”

For prostate cancer in men, the PSA test is used to measure cell changes, but not all changes are cancerous. In some cases, watchful waiting is recommended.

Payne recommends people get to know their own bodies — and their skin — so they will recognize when something is different. For instance, watch for moles that have changed colour or become asymmetrical, as they could be harbingers of skin cancer. “It is important for you to know your own body. If you have changes, and changes are persistent, see you doctor to get things checked out,” she says.

Cancer, like other diseases, is more prevalent in older people, so boomers should have regular screening checkups. “There is a large group of people entering the age group when they are at higher risk of cancer, and they should engage in screening. Resources are being put in place to accommodate this,” says Payne.

The Medcan Clinic’s database illustrates why prevention can pay off. Out of every 10,000 clients who get checkups, the pick-up rate for newly diagnosed conditions is about 30%; of those, about 5% are serious, such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease.

@page_break@Diagnosing these conditions early will result in having more treatment options. IE