6 health checks every South African should be having

While most of us know the importance of health checks, they’re rarely given the same attention as more dramatic medical interventions, whether it’s a new medication that improves a serious chronic condition, or a new life-saving operation. But while most health checks involve a simple blood pressure cuff, a finger prick and a few minutes in a clinic or doctor’s office, they’re the thing that can matter most in completely changing the trajectory of someone’s health for the rest of their lives.

The chronic disease epidemic is growing, and this is particularly true in South Africa. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, more than one in three adults live with high blood pressure. It’s also known as a “silent killer” because it rarely produces symptoms until real damage has already been done. Diabetes and high cholesterol are similar: they’re often conditions that are present for years without outward symptoms. While deaths from diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes have climbed sharply in South Africa over the past two decades, many of these are highly treatable if caught early. A basic health check, then, can make the difference between a medical crisis and a relatively simple road back to health.

Even if you’re healthy and don’t have any health symptoms right now, health checks are a cornerstone of longevity and lasting health. Here are six tests worth moving to the top of your priority list:

1. Blood pressure check

The World Health Organisation estimates that around 44% of adults with high blood pressure are completely unaware they have it, which means it’s often doing damage for years before anyone knows it’s there. A blood pressure check is quick and simple, and if you do have an issue, it can be easily treated before it becomes a driver for things like heart attacks, strokes or kidney diseases later in life.

2. Cholesterol and blood glucose

By the time you reach your thirties and forties, cholesterol and blood glucose screening should be a priority, particularly if you’re carrying extra weight or have a family history of diabetes or heart disease. The South African Heart Association recommends more frequent checks for anyone with risk factors, rather than waiting for a routine visit to bring it up. While a slightly raised reading caught early can easily be managed with diet and lifestyle changes, if left unchecked for years, the same reading can become a far more serious health issue.

3. Cancer screenings

From around 45 years old, cancer screenings become increasingly important for both men and women. Colorectal cancer screening is generally recommended from this age, or earlier for anyone with a family history of colon cancer or polyps. Women should already be having regular mammograms by this stage, while men from 50 years old (or over 40 with a family history) should consider regular prostate screenings. These are the checks people put off longest, usually out of discomfort rather than doubt about their importance, yet they’re also the ones where early detection makes the single biggest difference to outcome.

4. Bone density check

From the fifties onwards, a check worth prioritising is a bone density scan, which flags your osteoporosis risk. Women are especially prone to the disease as they age, due to the drop in oestrogen after menopause which speeds up bone loss. While men can develop it too, women face roughly double the risk of fractures linked to the condition. The test isn’t complicated, but it’s easy to postpone – which can result in more serious complications later on.

5. Eye tests

Recommended every one to two years, eye tests don’t just protect your sight. They can also pick up early signs of diabetes long before it affects your vision, which makes them a useful early warning check even if you have perfect vision with no obvious eye issues.

6. All-in-one testing

Depending on your age, a simple and more cost-effective solution may be to have several tests done at once. If you belong to a medical aid, you may be able to do these as part of your plan’s benefits. Fedhealth, for example, offers an annual wellness screening as part of its Health Risk Assessment within its screening benefit, which includes testing blood pressure, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, cholesterol and glucose levels.

Taken together, these six checks share the same quality: none of them is dramatic, but all of them are simple to do, and any changes you need to make are also relatively simple. A raised cholesterol reading managed through lifestyle change costs far less, for example, than the bypass surgery it can prevent. An early-stage cancer caught on a routine screening is often far more treatable than cancer found in its later stages.

Doing these six tests regularly – usually annually – is the best way to establish a health baseline and notice any year-on-year differences that could be a flag for something wrong. In addition to scheduling these tests in, things like dental checkups and skin checks are worth adding to the same routine. Oral health is more closely linked to conditions like heart disease than most people assume, and our strong South African sun means doing regular skin checks with your dermatologist is also worthwhile for peace of mind.

The health checks that save lives are rarely the dramatic ones. They’re the small ones that you don’t really pay attention to – until they’re the reason you’ve caught something on time so that you’re able to keep your health on track.