WANT A FREE SCREENING?
THE BUSES ARE
ROLLING! AARP and
Walgreens have launched
a nationwide effort to
deliver free health
screenings to people in
more than 2,000 commu-
nities across the Lower
48 states and Puerto Rico.
Nine buses will travel
240,000 miles, and par-
ticipants can be screened
for total cholesterol levels,
blood pressure, blood
glucose levels, bone den-
sity, waist circumference,
and body composition/
body mass index. For more
information, including
locations and dates, call
866-484-8687 or visit
aarpwalgreens.com/tour.
Also, AARP has teamed
with the U. S. Preventive
Services Task Force to
make info about screenings—what they are for,
who needs them, and
when—easy to get. Visit
aarp.org/womenchecklist
or aarp.org/menchecklist
for a screenings guide
and more.
Services), such as mammograms and
colonoscopies, are critical to spotting
emerging health problems and head-
ing off disasters—and the potential
benefits far outweigh whatever risks
are involved (see “Medical Tests You
Need…,” page 33). If you’re noticing
something different, though—pain,
fatigue, a persistent cough—additional
specialized diagnostic tests may be
appropriate. But if those tests involve
radiation, Arl Van Moore, M. D., presi-
dent of the American College of Radi-
ology, recommends these three steps:
Dawn Fallik is a freelance writer and journalism teacher based in Philadelphia.
For black-and-white reprints of this article call 866-888-3723.
