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Supporting Men's Health Week - Book to see your GP for a Health Check today!

Men’s Health Week (13-19 June 2022) aims to raise awareness of preventive health issues and promote early detection and management of disease among men and boys.

At Clinical Labs the cornerstone of our mission is empowering decision making that saves and improves patients’ lives. We understand the importance of regular GP Health Checks to screen for chronic health conditions and cancers, resulting in early diagnosis and management, potentially avoiding serious health consequences.

It’s time to change the stats

There is still a large disparity in Australia between the health of men and women. Australian men remain less healthy than Australian women and their life expectancy is nearly five years less than their female counterparts.¹

Australian men are also less likely to visit a GP. In 2013–14, the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program reported that of 94,952 patient encounters surveyed, 43.1% of patient encounters were with males compared to 56.9% with females.²It’s time to break the stereotypes, change the statistics and to help Australian men get their health back on track!

^{1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health 2014. Australia’s health series no. 14. Cat no. AUS 178. Canberra: AIHW, 25 June 2014. [Accessed 9 June 2022].}

^{2. Britt H, Miller GC, Henderson J, et al. General practice activity in Australia 2013–14. General practice series no. 36. Sydney: Sydney University Press, 2014. [Accessed 9 June 2022].}

Why are regular Health Checks so important?

Have you ever heard the saying ‘Prevention is the best medicine’?

Preventative Health Checks involve screenings and tests that assess your cardiovascular health, screen for diabetes, check the functioning of vital organs (including the liver and kidneys) and screen for cancers.

The results from these tests can lead to the early identification and management of disease, potentially highlighting any serious health issues, before it’s too late.

It’s time for a service

Booking in to see your GP for a Health Check should be something that is routine, marked on your annual calendar, or set as an annual reminder on your phone.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) has developed an awareness campaign called ‘Spanner in the works? When was your last service?’. The campaign encourages Australian men to book in to see their GP in the same way they would book their car in for a service. To find out more, visit malehealth.org.au.

You manage the ongoing safety of your car with regular servicing, so you should be looking after your body the same way, by seeing your doctor for regular Health Checks. Your health is too important to leave anything to chance!

What can I expect at my GP Health Check?

GP Health Checks can involve a variety of assessments and tests based on your age and other risk factors.

Common tests include:

Cardiovascular health - ECG, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides
Type 2 diabetes - fasting blood glucose or HbA1C
Kidney and liver function
BMI and waist measurements
Skin cancer check
Bowel cancer screening
Eye test
STI testing (for all sexually active men under 30)

It’s time to get your health back on track

So, what are you waiting for! Schedule your next service and book in to see your GP for a Health Check today!

Make sure you book a longer appointment to allow time for both the full Heath Check and time to discuss any other health concerns or questions you may have with your GP.

Potential concerns to discuss with GP:

Ongoing fatigue
Lightheadedness
Shortness of breath
Heart arrhythmias
New joint pain and inflammation
New skin lesions or changes to existing lesions (redness, itching, bleeding, increase in size)
Any new lumps

How can Australian Clinical Labs help?

Australian Clinical Labs is a full service pathology provider with collection centres located in all Australian states (excluding Tasmania). We offer all routine pathology tests and cardiac testing services are also available at select locations (ECG, holter monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring). We accept all pathology request forms and for most pathology tests a booking is not required.

To find a Clinical Labs collection centre near you go to clinciallabs.com.au/location.

Visit one of our friendly collectors with your pathology request form today. We’re here to help all Australian men get their health back on track!