The check-ups that keep you healthy for longer
A free, evidence-based guide to the 38 preventive check-ups that matter most for adults.
Check-ups
Vetted by GPs and specialists across cardiology, oncology, gynecology, urology and preventive medicine.
The check-ups with the strongest evidence come first – not a long, generic list.
See exactly what's due for you now, and what becomes relevant each decade.
What's inside
38 preventive check-ups across six categories. For each: what to do, why, how often, and how to act on the result.
Regular check-ups
Blood work, teeth, skin, eyes, ears, sex-specific health.
Fitness & strength
VO2max, body composition, strength and balance.
Targeted screenings
Colonoscopy, arteries, heart imaging, breast and lung cancer.
Vaccinations
Standard, boosters, age-triggered, seasonal, travel.
Self-checks
Blood pressure, skin, mental and brain health.
Deep dives
Genetic risk, glucose monitoring, biological age.
Why check-ups matter
Most serious conditions – cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney failure – develop silently over years. By the time symptoms appear, the damage is often advanced and hard to reverse. Preventive check-ups catch them early, while they're still manageable or even reversible.
Colorectal cancer mortality with regular colonoscopy screening.Zauber et al., NEJM, 2012
Five-year breast cancer survival when caught early – vs. 31% when caught late.National Cancer Institute, SEER
Adults have high blood pressure – with no symptoms, and easily treated once found.WHO, 2023
More testing isn't always better
Every test can catch a problem early, but false alarms lead to more scans, biopsies and worry. This guide focuses on the checks with a real net benefit for your situation, and shows the trade-offs where they matter.
How to use it
- 01
Start with your age band.
See what's due for you now.
- 02
Bring it to your next appointment.
It's built to go through with your doctor.
- 03
Revisit as you age.
New screenings become relevant at each decade – check what's due when you enter the next age band.
Coming soon
20 Years Prevention Tracker app
We're turning the guide into an app that stays with you for life – it shows what's due for your age and risk, reminds you when it's time, and keeps your results in one place.
Download the guide now and you'll get the app free the moment it launches.
Who's behind the guide
About the author
Malte Bedürftig
Malte is a co-founder of 20 Years and author of Habits for Life. He spent eight years at McKinsey before building a string of high-impact social ventures, work recognised with Germany's Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz). He's a Fellow of the Longevity Biotech Fellowship and a long-distance trail runner. He's not a doctor, so every recommendation in the guide is vetted by medical experts.
Medical advisors
Based on guidance of leading health institutions
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force · American Heart Association · American Cancer Society · National Cancer Institute · European Association of Urology · NHS · Robert Koch Institute / STIKO · German Cancer Society · World Health Organization
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