Longevity Checklist for Your 70s

In your 70s, the prevention list changes shape. Humanic Blue’s checklist tracks screenings that reach an end point or become individual decisions, alongside fall risk, medications, muscle and vaccines. For readers interested in living longer and better, those measures concern years spent in good health and the risk of illness; no study can say how much completing this checklist will extend one person’s life.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends exercise programs for people 65 and older at increased risk of falls who live in the community rather than care institutions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends one respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) dose at 75 for people who have not received it; pneumococcal vaccination depends on dose history, while shingles and yearly flu vaccination continue. Current final USPSTF guidance recommends against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood-test screening from 70 and makes colorectal screening from 76 to 85 selective. Its separate, one-time ultrasound window for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (a bulge in the main artery in the abdomen) ends at 75 for ever-smokers in the category it calls “men”; the task force says this estimate reflects sex at birth rather than gender identity. Someone who may meet those age and smoking criteria can discuss applicability with a clinician.

The American Geriatrics Society lists several common sleep aids as drugs to avoid in most older adults, with medication changes guided by a clinician. The Endocrine Society suggests vitamin D without first testing for deficiency in generally healthy adults from 75, and the PROT-AGE expert group recommends 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for most adults over 65, with a severe kidney-disease exception. The CDC’s strength guidance and Medicare wellness visit offer additional topics for an individual care review.

The checklist at a glance

Item	What’s new or continuing in your 70s	Source
Falls	Exercise programs for adults 65+ living in the community at increased risk; broader programs tailored to the person	USPSTF
RSV vaccine	One dose if not previously received: all adults 75+; ages 50–74 at increased risk	CDC
Other vaccines	Pneumococcal by prior-dose history; shingles; yearly flu (preferred types from 65)	CDC
Prostate (men)	PSA screening not recommended from 70	USPSTF
Aortic aneurysm (USPSTF sex-at-birth category)	One-time ultrasound at 65–75 for eligible ever-smokers; ask a clinician which guidance applies	USPSTF
Colorectal	Through 75; selective from 76 to 85	USPSTF
Lung	Yearly to 80 only while smoking-history and health criteria remain met	USPSTF
Medications	Beers Criteria flag drugs to review with a prescriber, rather than stop suddenly	American Geriatrics Society
Vitamin D	Vitamin D without a deficiency test suggested from 75; routine blood testing not advised for generally healthy adults	Endocrine Society
Protein and muscle	Most adults over 65: 1.0–1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day; severe kidney disease without dialysis may require restriction	PROT-AGE; CDC
Medicare wellness visit	Once every 12 months when eligible	Medicare.gov

Who benefits from fall-prevention exercise?

The USPSTF’s 2024 recommendation supports exercise interventions for adults 65 and older who live in the community rather than care institutions and are at increased risk of falls. It says broader programs that address several fall-risk factors should be offered selectively after considering the person’s risks and preferences. What works is covered in How Can Older Adults Prevent Falls?.

Vaccinate

The CDC recommends one RSV dose for every unvaccinated adult 75 and older; it is not currently an annual vaccine. Pneumococcal, shingles and flu vaccines continue, but pneumococcal dosing depends on prior vaccines. The CDC prefers high-dose flu vaccine, vaccine made with recombinant technology or vaccine with an added ingredient to strengthen the immune response (adjuvanted) from 65, while advising use of another age-appropriate product rather than delaying when a preferred one is unavailable. Details are in Longevity Checklist for Your 60s.

Which screenings become individual decisions?

Colorectal. The USPSTF advises selectively offering screening from 76 to 85. It assesses the average benefit after accounting for harms as small and says decisions should weigh overall health, prior screening and preferences.

Prostate. The USPSTF recommends against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood-test screening from 70, as covered in Healthy Aging for Men in Their 60s.

Aortic aneurysm. The USPSTF recommends a one-time ultrasound for ever-smokers 65 to 75 in the group it calls “men.” It states that its benefit estimate reflects sex at birth rather than gender identity. A clinician can review age, smoking history, individual risks and whether the guideline applies; the routine window ends at 75.

Lung. Under the USPSTF recommendation, yearly low-dose computed tomography (CT, an X-ray scan) can continue to 80 for people with at least 20 pack-years who smoke or quit within 15 years. Twenty pack-years means the equivalent of one pack a day for 20 years. Screening stops after 15 smoke-free years or when health or treatment preferences substantially limit the benefit of finding lung cancer early.

Bone. The USPSTF recommends screening for osteoporosis (weakened bones prone to fracture) for women 65 and older, with earlier screening for younger postmenopausal women at increased risk; a previous fracture from minor force or osteoporosis caused by another condition or treatment calls for a different evaluation. See When Should Women Get a Bone Density Test?

How do prior screening and expected benefit change the question about continuing a test?

Review medications

The American Geriatrics Society’s 2023 Beers Criteria advise avoiding several medicines used for sleep or allergies in most adults 65 and older. These include benzodiazepine sedatives, other sleeping medicines such as zolpidem, and older allergy medicines such as diphenhydramine. The criteria are a prescribing safety tool, not a reason to stop a medicine suddenly; a clinician or pharmacist can review benefits, risks and whether a dose needs to be reduced gradually. See Improve Sleep After 50.

What separates a medication-review flag from a decision about an individual prescription?

What supports strength and function in your 70s?

Vitamin D. The Endocrine Society’s 2024 guideline suggests vitamin D without first testing for deficiency for generally healthy adults 75 and older because trials indicate a possible small reduction in deaths. It prefers daily lower doses over large, intermittent doses and advises against routine vitamin D blood testing to guide supplementation in this population. The optimal dose for disease prevention remains uncertain; the guideline points adults over 70 to the daily allowance of 800 international units (IU) while noting that trials used varied doses. See Vitamin D and Longevity.

Protein. The PROT-AGE expert group recommends 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for most adults over 65, but says people with severe kidney disease who are not on dialysis may need to limit protein. In a Women’s Health Initiative study of women ages 65 to 79, higher reported protein intake was associated with lower risk of frailty—a loss of physical resilience that increases vulnerability to illness or injury; diet was not randomly assigned, so the study cannot establish that protein caused the difference. See Protein During and After Menopause.

Muscle. The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days each week for adults 65 and older, with activities adapted to ability and health. Recovery after illness or a hospital stay can change the plan, as covered in Prevent Muscle Loss After 60.

Fitness. A 2026 review combining exercise trials in healthy adults 60 and older found that aerobic exercise, strength training and programs combining both improved how well the heart and lungs supported exercise compared with comparison groups. The trials measured fitness and walking distance, not lifespan. See Improve VO2 Max After 60.

Hearing and brain. Hearing loss is associated with dementia, but causation and prevention are not settled; the USPSTF finds evidence insufficient for universal hearing screening in adults 50 and older without hearing symptoms. The 2025 US blood-pressure guideline recommends treating high blood pressure partly to reduce cognitive impairment and dementia risk. See Does Hearing Loss Cause Dementia? and Blood Pressure and Brain Aging.

Use the Medicare wellness visit

According to Medicare.gov, the yearly “Wellness” visit includes a written screening plan and a cognitive assessment to check thinking and memory, and can include a discussion of your wishes about future medical treatment. The first visit cannot take place within 12 months of Part B enrollment or the “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. It is not a routine physical exam.