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Definition

You should visit your health care provider regularly, even if you feel healthy. The purpose of these visits is to:

• Screen for medical issues
• Assess your risk for future medical problems
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle
• Update vaccinations and other preventive care services
• Help you get to know your provider in case of an illness

Information

Even if you feel fine, you should still see your provider for regular checkups. These visits can help you avoid problems in the future. For example, the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked regularly. High blood sugar and high cholesterol levels also may not have any symptoms in the early stages. A simple blood test can check for these conditions.

There are specific times when you should see your provider or receive specific health screenings. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) publishes a list of recommended screenings, and these are updated as needed. Below are screening guidelines for men age 65 and older.

ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM SCREENING

• If you are age 65 to 75 and have smoked, you should have an ultrasound to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
• Other men should discuss this screening with their provider.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING

Have your blood pressure checked at least once every year. Watch for blood pressure screenings in your area. Ask your provider if you can stop in to have your blood pressure checked. You can also check your blood pressure using the automated machines at some local grocery stores and pharmacies.

Ask your provider if you need your blood pressure checked more often if

• You have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, are overweight or have obesity, or have certain other conditions
• You have a first degree relative with high blood pressure
• You are Black
• Your blood pressure top number is from 120 to 129 mm Hg, or the bottom number is from 70 to 79 mm Hg

If the top number is 130 mm Hg or greater, but lower than 140 mm Hg, or the bottom number is 80 mm Hg or greater but lower than 90 mm Hg, this is considered stage 1 hypertension. Readings above these are considered stage 2 hypertension. Schedule an appointment with your provider to learn how you can reduce your blood pressure. Record your blood pressure numbers and bring this information to share with your provider.

CHOLESTEROL SCREENING

The American Heart Association recommends cholesterol screening should begin at age 20 for all men with no known risk factors for coronary heart disease and repeat every 4 to 6 years.

Cholesterol screening should take place more often if:

• Changes occur in lifestyle (including weight gain and diet)
• You have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, high blood pressure, stroke, blood flow problems in the legs or feet, or certain other conditions
• Your provider recommends it because you are taking medicines to control high cholesterol

COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

Until age 75, you should have screening for colorectal cancer on a regular basis. Several tests are available for colorectal cancer screening:

• Colonoscopy every 10 years
• A stool-based fecal occult blood (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year (colonoscopy is needed if results are positive)
• A stool DNA-FIT test every 1 to 3 years (colonoscopy is needed if results are positive)
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or every 10 years with FIT done every year
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

You may need a colonoscopy more often if you have risk factors for colorectal cancer, such as:

• Ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease
• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps
• A family history of inherited colorectal cancer syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)

People ages 76 through 85 should talk with their health care provider about whether to continue to get screened. People ages 86 and older no longer need colorectal cancer screening.

DENTAL EXAM

• Go to the dentist once or twice every year for an exam and cleaning. Your dentist will evaluate if you have a need for more frequent visits.

PREDIABETES AND TYPE 2 DIABETES SCREENING

You should be screened for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes every 3 years up to age 70 if you are overweight or have obesity.

You should be tested more often if you have other risk factors for diabetes, such as:

• You have a first-degree relative with diabetes
• You have high blood pressure, prediabetes, or a history of heart disease

EYE EXAM

An eye exam measures clarity and sharpness of vision and checks for vision problems.

• Have an eye exam every 1 to 2 years starting at age 65.
• Depending on your risk factors for eye diseases and your current symptoms or illnesses, your eye doctor may recommend that you have exams more often.
• Have an eye exam that includes an examination of your retina (back of your eye) at least every year if you have diabetes.

HEARING TEST

• Have your hearing tested if you have symptoms of hearing loss.

IMMUNIZATIONS

Commonly recommended vaccines include:

• Flu shot: you should get one every year
• COVID-19 vaccine: get at least one every year; ask your provider if you need more than one vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccines: you should receive this vaccine
• Shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine: 2 doses at or after age 50
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine: you should receive this vaccine if you are 75 years or older
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine: you should receive this vaccine if you are 68 years or younger
• Tetanus-diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: have as one of your tetanus-diphtheria vaccines if you did not receive it as an adolescent
• Tetanus-diphtheria: have a booster (Td or Tdap) every 10 years

INFECTIOUS DISEASE SCREENING

• All adults ages 18 to 79 should get a one-time test for hepatitis C.
• All people ages 15 to 65 should get a one-time test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Annual HIV screening is recommended for people at increased risk, such as being sexually active with men of unknown HIV status or having other risk factors such as injection drug use.

Depending on your lifestyle and medical history, you may need to be screened for infections such as syphilis, chlamydia, and other infections.

LUNG CANCER SCREENING

You should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) if:

• You are age 50 to 80 years AND
• You have a 20 pack-year smoking history AND
• You currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years

OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING

• If you have risk factors for osteoporosis, you should discuss screening with your provider.
• Risk factors can include long-term steroid use, low body weight, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having a fracture after age 50, or a family history of hip fracture or osteoporosis.

PHYSICAL EXAMS

Your blood pressure, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) should be checked at every exam.

During your exam, your provider may ask you about:

• Depression and anxiety
• Diet and exercise, including exercises to improve your balance and reduce your risk of falling
• Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use
• Safety, such as use of seat belts and smoke detectors and intimate partner violence
• Whether you have had any falls or are afraid of falling
• Your medicines and risk for interactions

PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING

If you're age 65 or older, before having the test, talk to your provider about the pros and cons of having a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Ask about:

• Whether screening decreases your chance of dying from prostate cancer.
• Whether there is any harm from prostate cancer screening, such as side effects from testing or overtreatment of cancer when discovered.
• Whether you have a higher risk of prostate cancer than others.

For men 70 or older, most recommendations are against screening. Research has not yet clearly proven that the potential benefits of PSA testing outweigh the harms of testing and treatment.

If you choose to be tested, the PSA blood test is repeated over time (yearly or less often), though the best frequency is not known.

• Prostate physical examinations are no longer routinely done on men with no symptoms.

SKIN EXAM

Your provider may check your skin for signs of skin cancer, especially if you're at high risk. You may be at risk if you:

• Have had skin cancer before
• Have close relatives with skin cancer
• Have a weakened immune system

Professional organizations do not recommend for or against performing a skin self-exam.

TESTICULAR EXAM

The USPSTF now recommends against performing testicular self-exams. Doing testicular self-exams has been shown to have little to no benefit.

References

American Academy of Ophthalmology website. Clinical statement: Comprehensive adult medical eye examination PPP 2020. www.aao.org/education/preferred-practice-pattern/comprehensive-adult-medical-eye-evaluation-ppp. Updated November 2020. Accessed October 24, 2025.

American Dental Association website. Your top 9 questions about going to the dentist - answered. www.mouthhealthy.org/en/dental-care-concerns/questions-about-going-to-the-dentist. Accessed October 24, 2025.

American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 2. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2025. Diabetes Care. 2025 Jan 1;48(1 Suppl 1):S27-S49. doi: 10.2337/dc25-S002. PMID: 39651986; PMCID: PMC11635041 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39651986/.

American Heart Association website. How to get your cholesterol tested. www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/how-to-get-your-cholesterol-tested. Last reviewed February 19, 2024. Accessed November 1, 2025.

Barton MB, Wolff TA. The preventive health visit. In: Goldman L, Cooney K, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 12.

Bushnell C, Kernan WN, Sharrief AZ, et al. 2024 Guideline for the primary prevention of stroke: a guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2024;55(12):e344-e424. PMID: 39429201 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39429201/. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Vaccines & immunizations. Adult immunization schedule by age (Addendum updated August 27, 2025). Recommendations for ages 19 years or older, United States, 2024. www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/adult-age.html. Updated October 7, 2025. Accessed October 24, 2025.

Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines [published correction appears in J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;25;73(24):3237-3241]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. PMID: 30423393 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423393/.

Mora S, Libby P, Ridker PM. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.

Studenski S, Van Swearingen J. Falls. In: Fillit HM, Rockwood K, Young J, eds. Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 103.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. A and B recommendations. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation-topics/uspstf-a-and-b-recommendations. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Colorectal cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening. Published May 18, 2021. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults: interventions. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/falls-prevention-community-dwelling-older-adults-interventions. Published June 4, 2024. October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Hepatitis C virus infection in adolescents and adults: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/hepatitis-c-screening. Published March 2, 2020. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-screening. Published June 11, 2019. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Hypertension in adults: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/hypertension-in-adults-screening. Published April 27, 2021. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Lung cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/lung-cancer-screening. Updated March 9, 2021. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Osteoporosis to prevent fracture: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/osteoporosis-screening. Updated June 26, 2018. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes. Updated August 24, 2021. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Prostate cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prostate-cancer-screening. Updated May 8, 2018. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Skin cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-screening. Updated April 18, 2023. Accessed October 24, 2025.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Testicular cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/testicular-cancer-screening. Published April 15, 2011. Accessed October 24, 2025.

Whelton PK, Carey RM, Mancia G, Kreutz R, Bundy JD, Williams B. Harmonization of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension Blood Pressure/Hypertension Guidelines: Comparisons, Reflections, and Recommendations. Circulation. 2022;146:868–877. PMID: 35950927 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35950927/.

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