Full medical check-up
General medical check-up: consultation, examination, blood test and whichever tests are indicated for your age and history, with results reviewed at the clinic.
What makes a good check-up
A useful check-up isn't the one with the most tests, it's the one with the ones that are right for you. It's built around your age, your sex, your family history, your job and your habits. Requesting extra tests doesn't give you more peace of mind: it gives you incidental findings that cause anxiety and lead to even more tests.
What it usually includes
- A detailed consultation and a full physical examination.
- Blood pressure, weight, height and waist measurement.
- General blood test: full blood count, blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney and liver function and whatever else applies.
- Electrocardiogram.
- Imaging or screening tests based on your age and risk factors.
- A review of your adult vaccination schedule.
The results review
The most important part comes afterwards: sitting down with the results and putting them in context. Cholesterol at 230 doesn't mean the same thing at 30 as at 60, or with normal blood pressure versus diabetes. That reading is what produces a concrete plan: what to monitor, how often, what to change and what doesn't need touching.
When to do it
As a routine check-up in healthy adults, when you notice tiredness or changes you can't explain, if there's a family history of cardiovascular disease or cancer, before starting intense sport, or simply because it's been years since anyone's checked you over. The general practice clinic then coordinates with whichever specialty is needed.
Frequently asked questions
How many tests should a check-up include?
The ones that apply to you by age, sex, family history, occupation and habits, not the maximum possible. Ordering more does not give more reassurance: it gives incidental findings that generate anxiety and more tests. The check-up is designed in the consultation, not bought from a catalogue.
How often should it be done?
It depends on your age and your risk factors. In a healthy adult it can be considered every one or two years, and more often if there is high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or a family history. It is also a good moment before starting intense exercise.
Who explains the results to me?
The results appointment is the most important part and it is done in person. An isolated value does not mean the same thing at 30 as at 60, nor with normal blood pressure as with diabetes. From that reading comes the plan: what to keep an eye on, how often and what does not need touching.
What does a full medical check-up include?
Consultation and physical examination, blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference, general blood tests, an electrocardiogram and the screening tests appropriate to your age and risk factors, as well as a review of the adult vaccination schedule. And the key part: the consultation where the results are explained.
How do you go about having a full medical check-up?
It starts with a consultation in which it is decided which tests apply to you — not everything for everyone —, the fasting blood test and the remaining examinations are carried out, and it closes with a second visit to go through the results. Bring previous reports and the list of your medication: they change the interpretation.