Most serious diseases that kill men — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers — don’t announce themselves. By the time symptoms appear, the window for easy intervention has often closed. That’s why regular health checks matter. Screening tests can detect issues before they become harder — or impossible — to treat. What you need screened, and how often, depends on your age, family history, lifestyle and existing health. There’s no single schedule that fits every man. But there is a clear starting point — and most men are reaching it later than they should. Here’s what you need to know about the health checks you need and when to have them
Treat your health like you do your car — schedule a regular service
You wouldn’t drive your car indefinitely without a service. Skip enough maintenance and small problems become expensive ones, and your body works the same way. Regular health checks are your maintenance schedule — a chance to catch issues early, make small adjustments and keep everything running as it should. Even if nothing seems wrong, your doctor can catch the serious things early and help you manage the less serious things easier.
“Our most valuable piece of machinery is our own health and wellbeing,” says Healthy Male CEO Simon von Saldern. “If we break down, then we’re unable to operate all the other machinery that we have.”
So, what health checks should men have, and when?
Now we know regular health check-ups are important, but where, how and when do you start?
As always, your GP is the best starting point — book and appointment and ask your doctor what health checks you need.
