What Is a Regular Health Checkup?
From childhood, we have heard the saying, "Prevention is better than cure”. Regular health checkups just let you do that. They help you take charge of your health. Regular health checkups help you assess your current health condition and take steps to maintain good health for the future. In this article, we will understand the importance of regular health checkups.
Importance of Regular Health Checkups
Some of the reasons why you should undergo regular health checkups include the following:
Early-Stage diagnoses of any illness
Right now, you are feeling healthy and good; hence, you will question the need to go for a health checkup. However, you need to understand that certain illnesses start developing in the body years before they throw up any symptoms. For example, an individual with cancer may sometimes see symptoms when the disease has reached the third or fourth stage, making treatment complex and expensive.
However, a regular health checkup can diagnose a disease like cancer at the first stage. Early-stage diagnosis may also aid in treatment without surgery and lower treatment costs compared to late-stage detection.
Health checkups due to family medical history and profession
You may be required to undergo a regular health checkup due to your medical history. If you have suffered from a particular illness earlier and recovered, the doctor may advise regular checkups to monitor your health. For example, if you have recovered from a heart illness, the doctor may recommend specific heart-related tests every quarter, six months, or year.
Certain diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc., are hereditary. If someone in your family has suffered from any hereditary disease, the doctor may advise specific tests to monitor if you are vulnerable to it. Your profession or general lifestyle may also put your health at risk. If your profession constantly exposes you to dust, smoke, or other forms of pollution, or you are a regular consumer of tobacco or alcohol, your doctor may advise certain specific tests to check for any early signs of respiratory or other diseases. Along with a comprehensive health insurance plan, you may buy a critical illness insurance plan to protect you financially against these hereditary diseases. The ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection Critical Care Plan provides a sum insured of up to Rs. 3 crores and covers up to 30 critical illnesses with lump sum and staggered payout options.
Regain good health with lifestyle changes
In the earlier section, you saw how a regular checkup can help diagnose diseases at an early stage. When a disease is diagnosed at an early stage, it may be possible to cure it with specific lifestyle changes and short-term medication.
For example, a regular health checkup can help you diagnose illnesses like high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol levels, etc., at an early stage. Consider the case of an individual who is a pre-diabetic or whose blood pressure or cholesterol is at the higher end of the normal range. In such a scenario, since these illnesses have been diagnosed at an early stage, the doctor may suggest specific lifestyle changes and monitor the illness before starting the medication.
For example, the doctor may recommend a pre-diabetic person to avoid sugar entirely or shift to foods with a very low glycaemic index. Along with that, the doctor may recommend regular exercise and other lifestyle changes. With these changes, the individual may be able to manage the blood sugar levels without medication. However, in such cases, the individual should consult their doctor regularly and monitor their blood sugar levels constantly.
Similarly, if an individual's blood pressure or cholesterol is at the higher end of the normal range, the doctor may suggest specific lifestyle changes. These include eating healthy foods, exercising, meditation, proper sleep routines, managing stress levels, etc. With these lifestyle changes, the individual's blood pressure or cholesterol may revert to the normal range, and the individual may be able to manage without medication. However, as mentioned earlier, the individual should do regular doctor consultations and undergo routine health checkups to monitor the progress.
Thus, with regular health checkups, an individual can diagnose illnesses at an early stage and, in some cases, regain good health with lifestyle changes and without medication.
Monitor the progress of ongoing treatment
If an individual is already suffering from an illness, regular health checkups are required to monitor ongoing treatment progress. For example, for an individual with type 2 diabetes, the doctor will recommend a routine test to check the blood glucose levels. The test reports will help the doctor monitor the treatment progress and decide the future course of medication.
Similarly, the doctor will recommend a routine test for other illnesses, such as thyroid, to check the T3, T4, and TSH levels. Based on the test results, the doctor will decide on the future treatment.
Pricing of health insurance
Health insurance companies require some applicants to undergo a regular health checkup when buying a health plan. A health checkup helps the insurance company to assess the health risk and accordingly decide the premium.
Based on the health checkup report, the health insurance company may take one of the following decisions:
- If the test reports are normal, accept the application as a standard risk and apply the regular premium.
- If the test report indicates an illness, classify the applicant as a substandard risk and accordingly make a decision. For a substandard risk, the company may charge a higher premium, exclude the illness, ask the applicant to apply later after a specified period, or reject the application.
How Often Should You Get a Health Checkup?
If you are fit and healthy, you may go for a preventive health checkup once a year. You may consult a medical practitioner who may recommend the tests you must undergo based on age, profession, gender, family medical history, etc. You may book a medical checkup for yourself and family members. Some tests require 12 hours of fasting, so plan accordingly. Avoid alcohol, smoking, etc., before the checkup.
If you are suffering from some illness, the medical practitioner may advise a disease-specific test more than once a year, along with an annual comprehensive body checkup. Once you get the test reports, you may discuss them with your doctor, who will recommend the next course of action.
Benefits of Regular Health Checkups
Regular checkups aren’t just “tests”. They’re a simple way to stay ahead of health surprises and avoid last-minute panic.
- You catch problems early: Many conditions build quietly, so spotting them early can mean simpler treatment and fewer disruptions to your life.
- You get a health baseline: Once you know what’s normal for your body, it’s easier for your doctor to spot changes that need attention.
- You stay consistent with lifestyle goals: Seeing numbers like sugar, cholesterol, or blood pressure makes healthy habits feel more real and easier to stick to.
Importance of Health Checkups at Different Life Stages
Your health needs don’t stay the same forever, so your checkups shouldn’t either.
- In your 20s and 30s: Focus on basics like blood sugar, cholesterol, BMI, and vitamin levels, plus lifestyle risks like stress and sleep.
- In your 40s and 50s: This is when early warning signs show up more often, so screenings for heart health and certain cancers become more relevant.
- In your 60s and beyond: Monitoring becomes more frequent and condition-specific, especially for bone health, vision, hearing, and chronic disease management.
Common Tests Included in a Regular Health Checkup
A standard package can vary, but many checkups include a familiar set of tests that give a broad snapshot of health.
- Blood tests: These often cover blood sugar, cholesterol, liver function, kidney function, and sometimes thyroid and vitamin levels.
- Urine tests: Helpful for spotting early signs of infection, kidney issues, and metabolic conditions.
- Vitals and basic screenings: Blood pressure, weight, BMI, and sometimes ECG or chest screening based on age and risk profile.
Role of Health Insurance in Regular Health Checkups
Health insurance isn’t only for hospital stays. In many plans, preventive care is part of the value. It makes routine checkups easier to prioritize and supports earlier action. If a checkup flags something, having coverage helps you move ahead with consultations and treatment without financial stress.
How ManipalCigna Encourages Preventive Healthcare
Preventive care works best when it’s consistent, not occasional, and that’s where the right plan can help.
- Built-in health checkup benefits in select plans: Some ManipalCigna plans include health checkups at set intervals, making it easier to stay on track year after year.
- Wellness-focused add-ons and packages: Options like women-focused screenings and preventive benefits help people plan care proactively rather than react late.
Conclusion
Regular health checkups are a simple habit with a big payoff. They help you stay informed, act early, and make healthier choices with confidence, not guesswork.
And when your plan supports prevention, too, staying consistent becomes much easier. ManipalCigna health plans are designed to support long-term wellness, so you can focus on staying healthy, not just managing medical bills.
FAQs
Why are regular health checkups important?
Because many health conditions start silently and show symptoms only later. Regular checkups help you spot issues early and stay in control.
What are the key benefits of regular health checkups?
They help with early detection, tracking progress, and building a clear picture of your health over time. They also support better lifestyle choices because you’re working with real data.
At what age should regular health checkups begin?
You can start in your 20s or early 30s, especially if your lifestyle is stressful or family history is a factor. Earlier is better because it creates a baseline for future comparisons.
How often should a person go for a health checkup?
Many healthy adults do a preventive checkup once a year. If you have an existing condition, your doctor may recommend more frequent, condition-specific tests.
Are regular health checkups covered by health insurance?
Some health insurance plans include preventive health checkups at set intervals, depending on policy terms. It’s always worth checking your plan benefits so you don’t miss what you’re already entitled to.
