Even if you’re feeling healthy, a regular health check-up is a good way to validate your health or identify a problem in its early stages. Health Screenings can detect health conditions early – before they start to cause illness and disease in the body. We lead busy lives but it is worth getting a check-up as it is all too easy to take your health for granted.
Worldwide, the biggest cause of mortality are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). These are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and other conditions. Four out of 5 CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.
Risk factors for CVDs include raised blood pressure, glucose, and lipids as well as being overweight and obesity. These can all be easily measured in primary care facilities. When we can identify the risk factors for CVDs early we can ensure that the appropriate treatment is received.
There are conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, liver enzyme derangement and other diseases which can only be diagnosed with a direct medical test. Often these do not show outward signs or symptoms and many do not even realise that there may be something wrong until the tests have been done. We also know that certain diseases tend to run in families such as diabetes and some cancers, so depending upon your health history, your Health Screening may investigate these too.
One thing to be mindful of is that the Health Screening you choose should be dependent on your needs. The health screening needed for a 30 year old male is clearly going to be different to that needed by a 55 year old woman. For this reason I suggest patients seek out personalised Health Screenings. This means you don’t pay for tests and procedures you may not need just because it is part of a ‘package’.
Lastly, I always remind my patients that a check-up is not just about your physical health. It also covers your mental wellbeing, and it is the perfect opportunity to discuss any mental concerns you may have.
