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What happens at an annual checkup — and how to get more from it
What a routine adult checkup usually includes, common screening tests by age, vaccines to review, and how to prepare so the visit is worth your time.
Key takeaways
- Checkups focus on prevention: risk factors, screening, vaccines and lifestyle.
- Which screening tests you need depends on age, sex, family history and risk factors.
- Come with your questions, medicine list and family history to make the most of it.
A routine checkup — sometimes called a physical or wellness visit — is a chance to catch problems early and plan how to stay healthy. Recommendations differ between countries and individuals, but most visits cover similar ground.
What usually happens
- History update: new symptoms, medicines, allergies, family history, work, sleep, mood, alcohol, smoking or vaping, and activity.
- Measurements: blood pressure, weight, and often waist size and heart rate.
- Physical exam: focused on your age and concerns.
- Screening decisions: which tests are due for you.
- Vaccines: reviewing what is due.
- Planning: goals and follow-up for any conditions.
Common screening topics
Examples from US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for average-risk adults (other countries use similar but not identical schedules):
- Blood pressure: all adults, at least every few years and yearly from age 40 or if at higher risk.
- Diabetes and prediabetes: adults 35 to 70 who have overweight or obesity.
- Cholesterol and heart risk: usually discussed from middle age, earlier with risk factors.
- Cervical cancer: from age 21 to 65, at intervals depending on the test used.
- Breast cancer: mammography every two years from age 40 to 74.
- Colorectal cancer: from age 45 to 75, with several test options.
- Lung cancer: yearly low-dose CT for some people aged 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history.
- Depression and anxiety: screening questions for adults.
If you have a strong family history or other risk factors, screening may start earlier or happen more often.
Vaccines to review
Adults commonly need a yearly flu vaccine, tetanus boosters, and age-based vaccines such as shingles and pneumococcal vaccines, plus others depending on health, pregnancy, travel and work. Bring your vaccination record if you have one.
How to prepare
- List any symptoms or concerns, even small ones — and put the most important first.
- Bring your medicine list and any home readings.
- Update your family history: heart disease, diabetes, cancers and the ages they were diagnosed.
- Check which tests your plan covers as preventive care.
- Use our visit prep builder and choose “Annual checkup”.
Questions worth asking
- Which screenings are due for me, and why?
- How are my numbers trending compared with last time?
- What is the single most useful change I could make this year?
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