Why do you need a preventive health checkup?

With the increasing pollution levels and stressful lifestyle, our body is constantly at risk of developing various medical conditions that can sometimes even be life-threatening. In such a scenario, regular preventive health checkups are very important as they help to identify any early signs of potential health issues before they become a problem.  

It is advised that all adults go for regular preventive health checkups from time to time, even when they are healthy. The purpose of regular preventive health checkups is to find health problems early when they are usually easier to treat. Early detection increases the chances of getting timely treatment and avoiding any serious complications. 

Many factors, such as age, health, family history, and lifestyle choices, impact how often preventive health checkups are required.

What are the benefits of a preventive health checkup?
There is not one but innumerable benefits of a regular preventive health checkup such as:

• Timely detection of potentially life-threatening health conditions or diseases. Let’s take an example of a heart attack, it may not be sudden and can happen due to gradual accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessels. A preventive health checkup will provide information on cholesterol levels in the blood and enable you to make important changes in the lifestyle.
• It puts you at a lesser risk of getting sick.
• Increases chances for the right treatment and cure.
• Timely detection limits the risk of complications.
• Preventive health checkup can significantly improve life expectancy. 
• Reduces healthcare costs over time. Preventive health checkups help in reducing sudden and unforeseen medical expenses. When a disease is detected at the initial stage, timely treatment can help manage it. A delayed detection can result in expensive treatment and prove fatal.
• Reminds you of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

What are the tests covered in a preventive health checkup?
Preventive health checkup includes screening for various types of heart diseases, diabetes, metabolic disorders, liver conditions, kidney diseases, and other chronic conditions. Apart from screening, it also includes various tests to measure the level of cholesterol, blood sugar, and other important biomarkers in the blood. 

The doctor uses this information to assess your risk of developing certain chronic conditions in the future.

You must choose an accredited laboratory that follows quality processes to carry out these diagnostic tests. 

Some of the tests that make up a preventive health checkup are:

• CBC is the most commonly ordered blood test and is used to evaluate overall health, screen for a variety of disorders, or monitor an existing condition e.g. blood disorders. CBC test can help detect hundreds of conditions, disorders, and infections using a small amount of blood.
• Lipid Profile is a blood test used to assess the risk of developing Cardiovascular disease (CVD) by measuring the amount and type of lipids (fats) in the blood. The doctor uses the results of the lipid profile test to assess the risk of heart disease and develop a plan of treatment. The test results may also be used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment plan. The treatment plan may involve lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise or medications.
• Liver Function Test is used to detect, evaluate and monitor liver disorders as well as overall health of the liver.
• Kidney Function Test helps to evaluate the proper functioning of the kidneys.
• Blood sugar measures blood glucose levels to screen for prediabetes, diabetes, or gestational diabetes and monitor the efficacy of medications or lifestyle changes for diabetic people.
• Thyroid Profile measures T3, T4, and TSH levels in the body and evaluates thyroid function. High levels of thyroid hormones in the blood can cause symptoms such as weight loss, anxiety, muscle weakness, racing heart, or heat intolerance whereas low levels of thyroid hormones in the blood can cause symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, enlarged thyroid gland, irregular menstrual periods, cold intolerance, or depression.
• Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy measures the level of Vitamin D in the blood. This test is useful for the diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency and Hypervitaminosis D. It is also used for diagnosis of causes of Rickets & Osteomalacia and for monitoring Vitamin D replacement therapy.
• Vitamin B12; Cyanocobalamin measures the concentration of Vitamin B12 in blood. It determines a deficiency or lower than normal blood levels of Vitamin B12 in the body.
• ECG helps in determining the heart rate and uniformity of heartbeat.
• Ultrasonography helps assess the structures in the abdomen such as the spleen, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
• Chest x-ray helps in assessing the chest and the organs located in the area
• Urine examination helps in the general assessment of health in terms of systemic or metabolic diseases.

As we have seen, preventive health checkups are very important to diagnose a medical condition before it becomes serious. Don’t wait for the disease to knock at your door, book a preventive health checkup package today.