Well visits, health checks, health reviews, they are three different names for the same thing, they all mean going to the doctor before you get sick.

"The number one cause of death and illness in this country, clearly is heart disease," said Dr. Eric Schnakenberg.

With the changes to many medical insurance plans, well visits or annual physicals tend to fall to the way side. The goal is early detection especially for heart disease and cancer. Screenings are different for people under the age of 50.

"You are screening for risk factor heart disease for men a cholesterol and diabetes check over 35 and women cholesterol and diabetes check over 45," Schnakenberg said.

For breast cancer detection, women may need a mammogram to screen around age forty or if they're at higher risk. For both men and women over fifty, it recommended to get screened for colon cancer with a colonoscopy. Skin cancer screening should done be yearly. An annual PSA test for men is the standard for prostate cancer and a pap smear for cervical cancer may be once a year if you are at high risk. Over the fifty, mainly for women, screen for osteoporosis or osteopenia with an xray.

According to Dr. Eric Schnakenberg, each year more women die of complications from a hip fracture caused by osteoporosis than breast cancer. Osteoporosis or the thinning bones, the process can slowed down even halted by proper treatment.

"If you do have osteoporosis, we do have medicine that are very effective for rebuilding bone strength,. The treatment for osteoporosis, basic advice is weight bearing exercise and taking calcium supplements, about 1200 mgs of and vitamin D. the recommendations for vitamin D are slowly changing but any way from 400 to 1000 units of Vitamin D," said Schnakenberg.