Which of the following is not a secondary prevention action for older adults?

Which of the following is not a secondary prevention action for older adults?

• A. Yearly depression screening
• B. Colonoscopy every 10 years
• C. Yearly fecal occult blood test
• D. Yearly blood pressure screening

Answer: (D)

Secondary prevention involves screening for disease in people who do not yet have symptoms, with the goal of catching conditions early to reduce morbidity and mortality. Yearly depression screening, colonoscopy every 10 years, and yearly fecal occult blood testing fit this idea because they are used to detect treatable conditions early when intervention is most effective. Yearly blood pressure screening, while vital for health care, is primarily a monitoring activity to identify a risk factor (hypertension) and guide ongoing management to prevent complications. It’s about detecting a condition that, once identified, you treat to reduce future harm, rather than uncovering a disease in its preclinical stage through a screening test. Therefore, it’s not categorized as a secondary prevention action.

Secondary prevention involves screening for disease in people who do not yet have symptoms, with the goal of catching conditions early to reduce morbidity and mortality. Yearly depression screening, colonoscopy every 10 years, and yearly fecal occult blood testing fit this idea because they are used to detect treatable conditions early when intervention is most effective.

Yearly blood pressure screening, while vital for health care, is primarily a monitoring activity to identify a risk factor (hypertension) and guide ongoing management to prevent complications. It’s about detecting a condition that, once identified, you treat to reduce future harm, rather than uncovering a disease in its preclinical stage through a screening test. Therefore, it’s not categorized as a secondary prevention action.