Cleveland Clinic Experts Reveal Top 5 Medical Tests for 2012

With everyone still adhering to their New Year's resolutions for 2012, experts at the suggest some tests that can help keep a goal of making it a healthy year.

The following five tests are recommended for yearly physicals (the final one is for men only, but women should have a breast exam and pap smear):

1 Fasting blood sugar – at least one-fourth of U.S. adults have pre-diabetes, defined as having impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or both

2 Fasting lipid profile – the test includes total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels

3 High-sensitive C-reactive protein – high levels are predictive for future heart problems

4 Vitamin D level – low levels are associated with osteopenia, osteoporosis, breast cancer, colon cancer and heart disease

5 PSA level – to screen for prostate cancer

These tests are important because the sooner a health problem can be detected, the better the treatment options that are available.