There is no single right answer to how often you should have a health check. It depends on your age, your family history, how you live and what has been found before. But there are some sensible principles, and some things that are worth checking at particular stages of life.

What the NHS offers

In England, adults aged 40 to 74 without certain existing conditions are invited for an NHS Health Check every five years. Wales does not run an equivalent routine check, so for many people in Wales, a health check only happens when they see a GP about something specific.

The NHS in Wales does run national screening programmes, and these are important. Depending on your age and sex, they include cervical screening, breast screening, bowel screening and, for men at 65, screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm. A health check does not replace these, and you should always take up your screening invitations.

In your 30s

For most healthy people in their 30s, a full health check is not routinely needed. It is worth considering if heart disease, stroke, diabetes or high cholesterol run in your family, particularly if a close relative was affected before 60, or if you have symptoms such as persistent tiredness that have not been explained. A baseline check can also be useful before a major lifestyle change.

In your 40s

This is when many risk factors start to appear, often without symptoms. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight tend to creep up, and the choices you make now have a large effect on your health in your 60s and 70s. A health check every three to five years is reasonable if everything is normal, and more often if something needs monitoring. For men, low testosterone often first shows up in this decade. For women, perimenopause can begin, and changes in periods, sleep and mood are worth discussing with a doctor.

In your 50s

The risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes rises more steeply, and for women this accelerates after the menopause. A health check every two to three years makes sense for most people, with more frequent checks of anything that has been found. This is also a good time to make sure your screening is up to date.

In your 60s and beyond

Regular checks become more valuable, both to catch new problems early and to keep existing ones well controlled. For many people, a yearly or two-yearly check is sensible, particularly if you are on long-term medication or have an existing condition to keep an eye on.

When not to wait

A health check is for people who feel well. If you have new or worrying symptoms, such as chest pain, breathlessness, unexplained weight loss, a change in bowel habit, blood where it should not be, or a new lump, see a doctor promptly rather than waiting for a routine check.

Why the follow-up matters more than the frequency

When we audited our own health checks, more than half of patients had a new risk factor that could be improved, most often raised cholesterol. What made the difference was not the test itself but what happened next: a clear plan, and a dated repeat test to check that changes were working. That is why every health check at Zenvité ends with a doctor agreeing a plan with you, and why we book your repeat tests at the time of your results.

If you are not sure where to start, our Core Health Check (£279) is a thorough doctor-led check with around 50 blood markers and suits most adults. Our Advanced Health Check (£549) is our most comprehensive option, adding an ECG, lung function testing, around 20 more blood markers and a dedicated results appointment.