What preventive tests are worth doing once a year?
Sonia Biecka
Dietitian
Regular preventive care makes it possible to detect many diseases before clear symptoms appear. Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, lipid disorders, or chronic kidney disease can develop almost unnoticed for a long time. Early detection, on the other hand, allows treatment and lifestyle changes to be introduced sooner.
That does not mean, however, that every healthy person should have an extensive panel of dozens of tests every year. The frequency of preventive care should depend on age, sex, health status, medications taken, lifestyle, and diseases running in the family.
The best approach is therefore not testing "everything just in case" but creating an individual prevention plan.
Do blood tests need to be done every year?
There is no single universal set of laboratory tests that every healthy person should have once a year.
In a young person without symptoms, chronic diseases, or risk factors, repeating a complete blood count, TSH, liver enzymes, vitamin D, or urinalysis every year does not always bring additional benefits. It can, however, lead to the incidental detection of small deviations that have no clinical significance but cause anxiety and trigger further testing.
The Choosing Wisely recommendations indicate that annual laboratory tests in people without symptoms should be based on an individual risk profile. A Cochrane review also showed that extensive, routine health checks performed in all adults do not significantly reduce mortality. This does not mean that prevention does not work. The greatest value comes from tests targeted at a specific disease and performed in the right group of people.
What is actually worth checking once a year?
1. Blood pressure
Measuring blood pressure is one of the simplest and most important elements of preventive care. Hypertension often causes no pain or other characteristic symptoms, and left untreated it increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney damage.
An annual measurement is particularly recommended:
- after the age of 40,
- with overweight or obesity,
- with readings at the upper limit of normal,
- with low physical activity,
- in people who smoke,
- with diabetes, kidney disease, or a family history.
In healthy people aged 18–39 who have normal blood pressure and are not in an increased-risk group, screening measurements can be performed less often, for example every 3–5 years.
A single elevated reading does not yet mean hypertension. In such a situation, it is worth repeating the measurements at home, following the doctor's instructions.
2. Body weight, BMI, and waist circumference
Once a year, it is worth assessing not only body weight but also how it changes over time. A sudden increase or decrease in body weight can be more important information than a single result.
Useful measures include:
- body weight,
- BMI,
- waist circumference,
- blood pressure.
Waist circumference helps assess the amount of fat tissue located around the abdomen. Its excess is associated, among other things, with a higher risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.
3. Lifestyle and mental health review
Preventive care does not end with a blood draw. During an annual health review, it is worth discussing:
- sleep quality,
- stress levels,
- mood and mental wellbeing,
- physical activity,
- eating habits,
- tobacco use,
- alcohol consumption,
- medications and supplements taken,
- vaccination status.
In the Polish "Moje Zdrowie" program, the preventive questionnaire covers, among other things, diet, activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, mental health, and a family history of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
What laboratory tests are worth doing?
The scope of testing should depend on your health profile. The table below shows when individual tests are particularly useful.
| Test | What does it help assess? | When is more frequent testing worth considering? |
|---|---|---|
| Complete blood count | Anemia, disorders of blood cells and platelets | Heavy periods, fatigue, elimination diet, chronic diseases, an abnormal previous result |
| Fasting glucose or HbA1c | Risk of prediabetes and diabetes | Overweight, obesity, PCOS, hypertension, a history of gestational diabetes, a family history of diabetes |
| Lipid panel | Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides | Lipid disorders, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, smoking, cholesterol-lowering treatment |
| Creatinine and eGFR | Kidney function | Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, medications affecting the kidneys |
| TSH | Thyroid function | Symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, thyroid disease, pregnancy or planning pregnancy, thyroid hormone treatment |
| ALT, AST, GGT | Liver health | Obesity, diabetes, frequent alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease, medications that can damage the liver |
| Urinalysis | Some abnormalities of the urinary tract and kidneys | Urinary tract symptoms, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney disease, or abnormal previous results |
In a person with normal glucose levels and no significant risk factors, repeating the test about every 3 years may be sufficient. More frequent monitoring is needed, among other things, with prediabetes, obesity, a worsening metabolic profile, or the use of medications affecting blood glucose.
Should a complete blood count be done once a year?
A complete blood count is a simple and widely available test, which is why it is often included in a basic preventive panel. It can help detect, among other things, anemia, which may be related to iron deficiency, bleeding, malabsorption, or chronic diseases.
However, there is no rule according to which every healthy person must have a complete blood count exactly every 12 months. Annual monitoring may be justified, for example, in people:
- with heavy periods,
- following a restrictive diet,
- with recurrent iron deficiency,
- with chronic illnesses,
- taking certain medications,
- reporting weakness, shortness of breath, palpitations, or reduced exercise tolerance.
Is it worth testing vitamin D, ferritin, and vitamin B12 once a year?
These are not universal preventive tests for everyone.
Ferritin
Ferritin helps assess iron stores. It is worth measuring, among other things, with:
- heavy periods,
- anemia,
- chronic fatigue,
- hair loss,
- a vegetarian or vegan diet,
- malabsorption disorders,
- frequent blood donation.
Vitamin B12
The test can be useful in people following a vegan diet, taking metformin or medications that reduce stomach acid secretion, as well as in diseases of the stomach and intestines.
Vitamin D
Routine, annual vitamin D testing in all healthy people is not recommended. The test may be indicated in calcium-phosphate metabolism disorders, osteoporosis, kidney disease, malabsorption disorders, and before using high doses of vitamin D.
How does the "Moje Zdrowie" program work?
People insured with the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ) who are 20 or older can take advantage of the "Moje Zdrowie" program, an adult health check-up.
The program is available:
- every 5 years for people aged 20–49,
- every 3 years for people aged 50 and over.
The basic scope may include a complete blood count, glucose, a lipid panel, creatinine with eGFR, TSH, and urinalysis. Depending on age, questionnaire answers, and risk factors, the scope can be extended to include, among other things, liver enzymes, anti-HCV, PSA, or a fecal occult blood test. The results are discussed with primary care staff, and the patient receives an Individual Health Plan.
The program is not a package to be done once a year. It does show, however, that properly planned preventive care should be tailored to age and risk, rather than based on repeating all available parameters annually.
When not to wait for the annual check-up?
Preventive tests are intended primarily for people without symptoms. If worrying complaints appear, do not wait until the next scheduled appointment.
A consultation is required, among other things, for:
- unintentional weight loss,
- chronic fatigue interfering with daily functioning,
- blood in the urine or stool,
- a change in bowel habits,
- shortness of breath or chest pain,
- fainting,
- persistent fever or low-grade fever,
- enlarged lymph nodes,
- new lumps or worrying skin changes,
- unusual bleeding,
- increased thirst and frequent urination.
In such a situation, we are no longer talking about screening tests, but about the diagnostic workup of symptoms.
Summary
The most important element of preventive care is not doing the largest possible number of tests every year. It is the regular assessment of health and doing the right tests at the right time.
For many people, the annual check should primarily cover blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, lifestyle, mental health, medications used, and the currency of screening tests. The scope of laboratory testing, on the other hand, should be adjusted to age, symptoms, previous results, and individual risk factors.
Well-planned preventive care is not about testing everything. It is about consciously checking what can have a real impact on health at a given moment.
Frequently asked questions
Does a complete blood count need to be done once a year?
Not every healthy person must have a complete blood count exactly every 12 months. An annual test may be justified with heavy periods, a history of anemia, chronic diseases, a restrictive diet, taking certain medications, or the presence of symptoms such as weakness, paleness, breathlessness, or palpitations. In a healthy person without symptoms, the frequency can be determined individually.
Do normal blood test results mean I am completely healthy?
No. Laboratory tests show selected aspects of how the body functions. A normal complete blood count, TSH, or glucose does not rule out all diseases. Preventive care also involves blood pressure, body weight, family history, mental health, lifestyle, screening tests, and any emerging symptoms.
Is it worth testing vitamin D, ferritin, vitamin B12, and TSH every year?
These are not universal annual tests for everyone. Ferritin is particularly useful with heavy periods, anemia, a plant-based diet, frequent blood donation, or suspected malabsorption. Vitamin B12 is worth monitoring, among other things, with a vegan diet, metformin use, diseases of the stomach and intestines, or long-term use of medications that reduce stomach acid secretion. TSH is tested more often in people with thyroid disease, symptoms suggesting thyroid disorders, during pregnancy, when planning pregnancy, or during thyroid hormone treatment. Routine annual vitamin D testing in every healthy person is also not necessary.
Does a bigger private test package mean better prevention?
Not necessarily. The more random parameters are measured, the greater the probability of a result slightly outside the reference range, even in a healthy person. A better approach is choosing tests that match your age, symptoms, medications, and individual risk factors. Results should be interpreted together, not as isolated numbers.
References
- Krogsbøll LT, Jørgensen KJ, Gøtzsche PC. General health checks in adults for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009009.pub3.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Hypertension in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;325(16):1650–1656.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(8):736–743.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement. 2025.
- Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Centrum e-Zdrowia. "Moje Zdrowie" program, adult health check-up.
- Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Centrum e-Zdrowia. Cervical cancer prevention program.
- Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia. Breast cancer prevention program.
- Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia. Colorectal cancer screening program.
- European Association of Urology. EAU Guidelines on Prostate Cancer: Diagnostic Evaluation. 2026.
This content is educational in nature and does not replace an individual consultation, medical examination, or diagnostics tailored to the patient's health condition.