Guide

In your 60s

The 60s mark the transition from "preventing disease" to "preserving function and reserve". Falls, cognition, hearing, and social engagement become higher leverage than they were a decade earlier. Many cardiometabolic interventions still pay off; some (intensive screening, off-label drugs) reach diminishing returns.

Top priorities

1. Resistance training is non-negotiable. Muscle mass and strength preserved here determines whether your 80s are independent or dependent. See sarcopenia.
2. Balance and fall prevention: stability work, tai chi, home-environment review (rugs, lighting, grab bars).
3. Hearing aids if hearing loss: the Lancet Commission lists hearing loss as the largest modifiable dementia risk factor; the FINGER/ACHIEVE trials support intervention.
4. Eye exam annually: cataracts, glaucoma, AMD progression all need active surveillance.
5. Cognitive engagement: see cognitive engagement, social connection.
6. Stay on statins / lipid therapy— don’t stop because "I’ve been on them long enough". Cardiovascular risk continues to rise.
7. Sleep apnea screening if not done; common and under-diagnosed.

Cancer screening intensification

Continue colonoscopy / FIT, mammography, prostate (shared decision), cervical, skin checks. Discuss with primary care whether multi-cancer early detection adds value for you.

What to measure

• Standard lipid panel + apoB.
• HbA1c, fasting glucose.
• Kidney function (eGFR with cystatin C).
• Bone density every 2 years.
• Cognitive screen (MoCA).
• Hearing test annually.
• VO₂max trend, grip strength, gait speed, chair-rise test.
• Vitamin D, B12, ferritin.

Where benefits diminish

• Intensive whole-body MRI screening — useful in high-risk individuals; lower yield in low-risk.
• Very aggressive off-label drug stacks — risk profile shifts unfavourably.