The preventive checks worth doing in each decade

Preventive care works best when it is targeted. Testing everything produces false alarms; testing nothing lets slow conditions establish themselves unnoticed. The useful middle ground changes as you age.

In your twenties and thirties

Establish a baseline. Blood pressure, blood sugar, a lipid profile and a complete blood count give your future doctor something to compare against. Vitamin D and B12 are worth checking once, as deficiencies are common and easily corrected.

In your forties

Cardiometabolic risk becomes the priority. Blood pressure, HbA1c and lipids deserve regular attention, and eye examinations matter more as near vision changes. This is also the decade where family history should start shaping the schedule.

In your fifties and beyond

Add bone health, kidney and liver function, and screening appropriate to your sex and history. Regular eye examinations become important for detecting glaucoma, which develops without early symptoms.

The point of a baseline

A single result describes a moment. A series describes a direction — and direction is what allows a doctor to intervene early rather than react late.

Your own schedule should be set with a doctor who knows your history. Use these decades as a prompt for that conversation, not as a substitute for it.