Health Checkups for Working-Age Adults: What to Test and How Often
A good checkup is designed around your age, family history and lifestyle, not the number of tests in a package. Here's what is worth testing and how often.
Key points
- Test what is common, accurately detectable and truly treatable; over-testing brings false positives, worry and unnecessary follow-up.
- Everyone needs blood pressure, weight and waist, blood sugar and cholesterol checks, plus hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV at least once, with STI tests by risk.
- Use evidence-based cancer screening (cervical, colorectal, breast, lung, PSA after discussion) and skip tumor markers, routine ECGs, full vitamin panels and yearly chest X-rays if you have no symptoms.
Every year patients bring me health checkup packages and ask, "Which one should I choose?" I usually ask back: how old are you, what diseases run in your family, do you smoke, and how do you live? A good checkup has to be designed from those answers, not from the number of items on the list.
Principles before you choose
- Test for things that are common, have a test accurate enough to find them, and that can really be treated or prevented if found
- Over-testing risks false positives, anxiety and unnecessary follow-up tests
- Talking with a doctor and a physical examination matter just as much as blood results
The basics everyone should have
| Item | Approximate frequency |
|---|---|
| Blood pressure | At least once a year; if it has been borderline, measure at home too |
| Weight, body mass index and waist size | Every year; your waist should be no more than half your height |
| Blood sugar (FPG or HbA1c) | From around age 35, every 1–3 years, or earlier if you are overweight, a parent has diabetes, or you had diabetes in pregnancy |
| Blood fats (cholesterol) | From age 20, repeated every 5 years or more often depending on risk |
| Kidney and liver function | When indicated, e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, heavy drinking, regular medicines |
| Smoking, alcohol, sleep, stress and depression | At every doctor visit |
Infection tests many people overlook
- Hepatitis B: every adult should be tested at least once (CDC recommendation, 2023). If you aren't immune, get vaccinated; if you are a carrier, your liver needs regular follow-up.
- Hepatitis C: test at least once as an adult, because it can now be cured with medication.
- HIV: test at least once, and repeat according to risk. See how in HIV self-test at home.
- Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia: test according to risk, for example a new partner, several partners or using PrEP. Read more in 14-pathogen STI PCR testing.
Test at least once in life
- Hepatitis B (CDC 2023)
- Hepatitis C
- HIV
Test by risk
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea, chlamydia
- e.g. new or multiple partners, on PrEP
If no immunity is found
- Hepatitis B vaccine
Cancer screening with evidence behind it
| Cancer | Who | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical | Women and people with a cervix aged about 25–30 to 65 | HPV DNA test every 5 years, or Pap smear every 3 years |
| Colorectal | Age 45–50 to 75 | Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year, or colonoscopy every 10 years |
| Breast | Women from age 40–50, depending on risk and shared decision with a doctor | Mammogram |
| Lung | Age 50–80 with a heavy smoking history (about 20 pack-years) who still smoke or quit within 15 years | Low-dose CT once a year |
| Prostate | Men aged 55–69 (earlier with a family history) | PSA after discussing pros and cons with a doctor, not automatically for everyone |
| Liver | Some hepatitis B carriers, or people with cirrhosis | Ultrasound every 6 months, possibly with AFP |
Thailand's Universal Coverage scheme (the "gold card" for Thai citizens) covers several of these screenings, such as HPV DNA and FIT, in the specified age ranges.
For people who have anal sex or are living with HIV, there is also anal cancer screening to discuss with your doctor; see Anal Health 101.
- Age 20+Blood lipids
Repeat every 5 years, or sooner by risk
- Age 25–30+Cervical cancer
HPV DNA every 5 years or Pap every 3 years, to age 65
- Age ≈ 35+Blood sugar
FPG or HbA1c every 1–3 years; earlier if at risk
- Age 45–50+Colorectal cancer
FIT yearly or colonoscopy every 10 years, to age 75
- Age 50–80Lung cancer (heavy smokers)
Yearly low-dose CT for about 20 pack-years
- Age 55–69Prostate PSA
After discussing pros and cons with a doctor; not automatic
Check blood pressure, weight and waist yearly from adulthood. Mammography starts at about 40–50 depending on risk.
Tests that are rarely needed if you have no symptoms
- Tumor markers such as CEA, CA 19-9 and CA-125 to look for cancer in the general population are not recommended, because false positives are common and early cancers can be missed. Read Tumor markers: can they really screen for cancer?
- ECG or treadmill stress tests in low-risk people without symptoms
- Testing every vitamin; see Vitamin level testing: is it necessary?
- A chest X-ray every year, which is not an effective way to screen for lung cancer
Vaccines are part of a health check
Review your vaccines every time: yearly influenza, tetanus–diphtheria every 10 years, hepatitis B if you aren't immune, HPV according to age and risk, and vaccines for people 50+ such as shingles and pneumococcal (pneumonia). See Influenza vaccine.
Getting checked with Dr. Kris Clinic
I will help design your checkup around your age, family history and lifestyle, including things usually missing from standard packages, such as testosterone when you have symptoms, sexual health, private STI testing and vaccine planning. You can consult online first to plan, then book a blood draw. English-speaking consultations are available.
Don't wait for your annual checkup if you have any of these: chest pain or tightness, breathlessness, unintended weight loss, blood in your stool, an unusual lump, or depression that makes daily life hard (call 1323, Thailand's free 24-hour mental-health hotline; Thai language, ask for English support).
Want help with this? Three simple steps
Reading is a good start. When you are ready, check where you are, see how a consultation works, then book a time that suits you.
1Free 2-minute self-checkSexual-health self-check — see your result instantly and send it to the doctor if you like.Start the self-check →
2See the steps and feesIndividual from 990 THB · couple 1,590 THB · 30–60 minutes, at the clinic or online via MCS Telemedicine.How a consultation works →
3Book with the doctorPick a time online or message us on LINE. Come on your own or with your partner. Payment confirms the booking.Book online →Self-checks are a guide only and do not replace a doctor's assessment. Outcomes vary from person to person, depending on the severity of symptoms, the complexity of the problem and other factors.
Preventive health care
Plan check-ups, nutrition and supplements that fit your age and lifestyle.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast before a health check?
For a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test you need to fast for 8 hours. Cholesterol and HbA1c usually don't require fasting. Check with the testing facility beforehand.
I'm 25 and healthy. Do I need a checkup every year?
You don't need a long list of blood tests every year, but you should have your blood pressure and weight checked, be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV at least once, and test for STIs according to your risk.
Is a yearly PSA test a good idea?
PSA testing has both benefits and harms from overdiagnosis. Men aged 55–69 are advised to talk it through with a doctor before deciding, rather than testing automatically.
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References
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Recommendations for Primary Care Practice (hypertension 2021, prediabetes/diabetes 2021, colorectal 2021, lung 2021, cervical, prostate 2018, breast 2024).
- Conners EE, et al. Screening and Testing for Hepatitis B Virus Infection: CDC Recommendations - United States, 2023. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2023;72(1):1-25.
- Schillie S, et al. CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults - United States, 2020. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2020;69(2):1-17.
- National Health Security Office (NHSO), Thailand. Health promotion and disease prevention (P&P) benefits, fiscal year 2025 (B.E. 2568) (in Thai).
This article is for education and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor. If you have symptoms or concerns, please see a doctor.
