Decoding Preventive Care with Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

What can you do to make the most of your annual medical visit? Dr. Poynor is joined by Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill, an internal medicine specialist at the Atria Health and Research Institute, to discuss how preventive care can help identify health concerns early. Plus, we unpack which labs and screenings are worth discussing with your primary care physician, why it's important to know your calcium score, and how to advocate for the care you need.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Boston Heart Diagnostics offers specialty labs that your doctor can order for you, usually at a cost. They are not available as direct to consumer products, so if you're interested in them, talk with your care team. https://bostonheartdiagnostics.com/

For expert advice on how to properly log your blood pressure at home, please see this helpful article: https://content.atria.org/article/blood-pressure-cuffs-for-home-monitoring/

You can see the product she mentions here (no affiliate link): https://omronhealthcare.com/blood-pressure-monitors

An ECG or EKG stands for an electrocardiogram, which is a quick, safe, and painless medical test that records the electrical activity of your heart.

DEXA stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. It is an imaging test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density and body composition. They can be ordered by a physician in an academic medicine system and are also offered at standalone centers.

Cologuard is a stool test that looks for existing cancer. Colonoscopies look for cancer as well as polyps, which can be pre-cancerous and are removed during the colonoscopy procedure.

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.

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