Are Health Check-Up Items the More the Better? Complete Guide on Choosing Health Check-Up Plans for All Ages

If you plan to receive a health check-up but have no idea how to pick a sensible one, this blog can help you! Are health checks necessary for people of all ages? Are the items covered the more the better? Keep reading to know more!

First: Understand your health conditions and family history before choosing a health check-up plan

Before receiving a health check, you should find out whether you have a family history of diseases. For example, if your relatives have cancer or other conditions, this will increase your risk of those diseases. Therefore, you should be familiar with your family history to precisely find the check-up items that you need.

Second: Find out which check-ups are suitable for your age group

According to statistics, some diseases present higher incidence rates in particular age groups, which makes age groups a great consideration when choosing a check-up plan.

If you are aged between 20-30…

This age group is vulnerable to thyroid diseases due to excessive work-related stress and anxiety. The symptoms include palpitation, shaky hands, heat intolerance, decreased body weight, increased appetite, sweating, anxiety, insomnia, etc. As these symptoms are common, patients may mistake them for mere anxiety and overlook their thyroid problems. Health check-ups can help identify potential thyroid diseases.

If you are aged between 30-40…

Stepping into their 30s, ladies should pay more attention to the risk of cervical cancer. HPV is mainly transmitted via sexual contact. Women engaging in sex without safety precautions will have a higher risk of cervical cancer. According to the statistics of the Department of Health, precancerous lesions often develop at the age of around 40. Yet, 7.1% of women aged below 30 have developed precancerous lesions in recent years. On the other hand, men can develop cardiovascular diseases at an earlier age than women. If you have no related family history, you are still recommended to receive complete health check-ups that include items such as blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels starting from the age of 30.

If you are aged between 40-50…

You can focus on screening for cardiovascular diseases and cancer, especially liver cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Men should pay extra attention to colon cancer as its incidence rate is higher in men aged above 40. Apart from that, lung cancer is hard to identify and has a high death rate. You can consider receiving simple health check-ups every year, such as pulmonary function tests or low-dose CT scans for lung cancer. As for cardiovascular diseases, examinations such as electrocardiogram (ECG), treadmill ECG, cholesterol test, blood sugar test and lipid panel can help you figure out the health condition of your heart and blood vessels.

If you are aged above 50…

Many diseases develop after the age of 50. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases can come unnoticed. This makes tumour marker tests and ultrasound scans more crucial. Women at menopause should also pay attention to potential osteoporosis.

Third: Choose the right health check-up plan for you!

You should choose a health check-up plan suitable for your age and health condition. Health examinations are not the more the better – they should cater to your personal needs. You need to know the risk factors of different diseases affecting your age group and opt for examinations targeting those areas. re:HEALTH offers an array of health check-up plans:

Premium Health Check Plan (98 items) mainly covers:

• Screening for three highs

• Test for heart diseases

• Hepatitis test

• Liver, gallbladder and kidney functions, thyroid functions

• Tumour marker test

• Chest and abdominal X-ray

• Upper abdominal ultrasound

• Spinal bone density test

• Gynaecological examination, fertility hormone test (anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), testosterone)

• Test for sexual health for men and women (antibodies to Treponema pallidum, HIV)

Women Priority Health Check Plan mainly covers:

• Breast ultrasound

• Pelvic ultrasound

• Pap smear

Male Priority Health Check Plan mainly covers:

• Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

• Prostate ultrasound

• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)