What should be the frequency of health checkups?-Expert recommendations

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What should be the frequency of health checkups?-Expert recommendations

‘Prevention is better than cure’ is a good old saying that is of utmost importance, especially in today’s modern times, where most people lead a sedentary lifestyle that includes fewer physical activities, unhealthy eating, and more stress. This is where frequent health checkups play an important role in the well-being of an individual. The question of what the frequency of health checkups should be, does arise. The answer lies in the current health status of the patient. 

Regular health checkups offer many benefits. Not only do they help in keeping a check on the general health of a person, but they also help in the prevention of certain diseases, as well as early detection and treatment of underlying medical conditions.

The frequency of a routine health checkup depends on various patient factors like age, medical history, risk factors for certain medical conditions, and the current status of the patient’s health.

In this article, we will discuss how often you should get a health checkup done.

Which factors should be considered to determine the frequency of health checkups ?

The frequency of health checkups will be determined by factors such as:

• Age: A full body checkup is recommended every two to three years if your age is less than 35 years. If your age is between 35 to 55 years and you have good general health, you should get a checkup done every two years. If you are above 55 years of health and have no medical conditions, you need to go for health checkups every year.
• Pre-existing medical diseases: If you have a pre-existing medical disease, you will need more frequent health checkups compared to a disease-free individual. For example, a diabetic patient who is less than 35 years of age needs a full body health checkup once every one to two years, and once every year after the age of 35.
• Changes in medical health: If you suddenly notice that you are falling sick more frequently than before, you need to get a full body health checkup done, and based on the recommendations of your doctor, you may need to increase the frequency of your health checkups.
• Family history: If you have a family history of certain genetic medical conditions or someone from your immediate family is suddenly diagnosed with conditions like breast cancer or a heart blockage, you need to increase your frequency of health checkups to identify your risk factors early. For example, Dr. Ravindra Nikalji from Apollo Navi Mumbai Hospital is a reputed nephrologist who recommends undergoing regular health checkups if you have a family history of kidney diseases or pre-existing kidney problems to treat the condition at an early stage and prevent dialysis or kidney transplant surgery in future.
• Unhealthy lifestyle: If you are leading an unhealthy and inactive lifestyle, you may be putting yourself at an increased risk of certain poor lifestyle-based diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, and renal diseases. More frequent health checkups are recommended in such cases.

How often should you get routine health checkups done ?

The general recommendations for the frequency of health checkups based on the age of the patient are as follows:

Children (From birth to 18 years):

• Infancy to early childhood: Frequent checkups during the first year of life, followed by frequent visits to the doctor to check the growth and development of the baby.
• Early years of school life: Health checkups are recommended annually to monitor the child’s overall general health, hearing, vision, and vaccinations.
• Adolescence: Health checkups are recommended annually to check the physical and emotional development of the child, along with vaccinations and preventive treatment.

Young adults (19 to 39 years): Health checkups are recommended every one to three years to assess general health, vaccinations, and screening for common medical conditions.

Middle-age (40 to 64 years): Health checkups are recommended every one to two years to monitor the changes in the health status of the individual, detect any age-related problems early on, and screen for any chronic medical conditions.

Elderly (above 65 years): Health checkups are recommended every six months to one year to monitor and treat any chronic medical conditions, check age-related health changes, and measure cognitive function.

General guidelines and the frequency of health checkups needed may vary depending on the risk factors and health status of the patient.

What are the benefits of regular health checkups?

Getting a regular health checkup based on the frequency recommended by your doctor can have several benefits. The following are some of the key advantages of a regular health checkup:

• Helps in maintaining good general health
• Early detection of health risks or problems 
• Early treatment of a medical condition before it becomes serious
• Awareness of any serious health conditions
• Encourages maintaining a good lifestyle
• Improved quality of life
• Limits extra costs of extensive treatments needed for medical conditions by detecting and treating them early

Dr. Firuza Parikh from HN Reliance Hospital Mumbai is a leading fertility specialist who recommends early diagnosis through regular health checkups. She quotes “Early diagnosis of infertility is important for its treatment and management.”

Where should I get a health checkup done?

Many hospitals and diagnostic centers offer attractive health checkup packages. However, it is important to choose the right health checkup package for yourself and not get influenced by the various offers offered by the different diagnostic centers.

Dr. Shailesh Raina from Jaslok Hospital Mumbai is one of the best urologists in the country who recommends choosing a health checkup package at a reputed hospital vis-à-vis undergoing a health checkup at a path lab or diagnostic center.

Choosing a health checkup package at a reputed hospital has the following advantages over a health checkup package at a path lab:

• All-inclusive: Hospital checkup packages are generally all-inclusive, which means that the package will include all the necessary medical tests needed to assess your overall health. A diagnostic center health package on the other hand will usually not include all the tests and you may have to take some tests separately besides the health package to assess your overall health.
• Cost-effective: Since the health checkup package at a hospital is all-inclusive, the effective overall cost of choosing a health package at a hospital will be comparatively lesser compared to the cost at a diagnostic center, where you will have to pay for the health package and additional tests separately thereby increasing the total overall cost. Therefore, although marketed otherwise, choosing a health package at a hospital is more effective than a health package at a path lab.
• Reliable test results: A reputed hospital will have skilled and experienced technicians and healthcare experts to provide you with accurate test results compared to a path lab.
• Consultation with the experts: Most health checkup packages at reputed hospitals offer one free consultation with specialist doctors from all departments to check your test reports and offer recommendations accordingly. You will not avail of this benefit if you undergo the checkup at a diagnostic center.

Conclusion

It is extremely important to take care of your general health as any symptom that you may ignore could become fatal for you in the near future.

Health checkups act as an important preventive and screening tool for health conditions that you may develop in the future. Dr. Deepanjali Adulkar from HCG ICS Khubchandani Cancer Centre Colaba Mumbai is an experienced radiation oncologist and she recommends that every woman above the age of 40 should undergo mammography, which is a screening test for breast cancer; and every woman above 30 years of age or who has had her first sexual encounter should undergo Pap smear test to screen cervical cancer. She stresses the importance of regular health checkups and screening tests to detect cancer at its early stage.

Routine health checkups help in assessing your general health and body, and it is important that every individual considers them as an investment toward a healthy and long life ahead. Get full body checkups at HN Reliance Hospital Mumbai.