Almost everyone should have some form of medical screening, but which ones you need depends on your age, sex, family history, and personal risk factors. Some screenings apply to virtually all adults, like blood pressure checks and cholesterol panels. Others kick in at specific ages or only if you meet certain criteria. Here’s a practical breakdown of the major screenings, who qualifies, and when to start.
Screenings Nearly Every Adult Needs
A few screenings are recommended so broadly that they apply to most of the adult population regardless of specific risk factors.
Blood pressure: All adults should have their blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure has no symptoms in most people, and it’s the leading modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Your doctor will typically check it at every routine visit.
Cholesterol: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends cholesterol screening starting between ages 9 and 11, repeated every five years through young adulthood. Adults aged 20 to 65 should be screened every five years, with more frequent testing (every one to two years) for men 45 to 65 and women 55 to 65. After age 65, annual screening is recommended. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, heart attacks, or stroke, screening can start as early as age 2.
Depression: Screening for depression is recommended for all adults, including pregnant and postpartum individuals and older adults over 65. For adolescents, screening is recommended starting at age 12. Anxiety screening is recommended for adults up to age 64 and for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18.
Cancer Screenings by Type
Colorectal Cancer
Most people should begin colorectal cancer screening soon after turning 45 and continue through age 75. Between ages 76 and 85, the decision becomes more individualized. You have several options for how to screen: a stool-based test done at home every year, a stool DNA test every three years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, a CT colonography every five years, or a colonoscopy every 10 years. People at average risk who choose colonoscopy need it far less often than most people assume.
Breast Cancer
The current recommendation is for all women to begin mammography screening at age 40 and continue every two years through age 74. This is a recent shift. Previously, the guidance suggested that women in their 40s make an individual decision about when to start. Now the recommendation is straightforward: start at 40, screen every other year.
Cervical Cancer
Women aged 21 to 29 should be screened every three years with a Pap smear alone. HPV testing isn’t recommended in this age group because HPV infections at younger ages tend to clear on their own. Starting at age 30 through 65, women have three options: a Pap smear every three years, an HPV test every five years, or both tests together every five years. Screening generally stops after age 65 for women with adequate prior screening and no history of serious cervical precancer.
Lung Cancer
Annual low-dose CT scans are recommended for adults aged 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and either currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. A pack-year means smoking one pack per day for one year, so someone who smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years, would qualify. This screening is specifically for current and recent heavy smokers, not the general population.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer screening with a PSA blood test is not a blanket recommendation. Instead, men aged 55 to 69 are advised to have a conversation with their doctor about the potential benefits and harms of testing before deciding. Some guidelines suggest this conversation can begin as early as 45 for men at higher risk, including Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer. Routine screening is not recommended for men 70 and older or those with a life expectancy under 10 years.
Skin Cancer
There is no universal screening recommendation for the general population, but people at high risk should have annual clinical skin exams between ages 35 and 75. High-risk factors include a personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers, a first-degree relative with melanoma, very fair skin, blonde or red hair, more than 40 moles, more than two atypical moles, significant sun damage or freckling, and ongoing immune suppression. If any of those apply to you, routine skin checks are worth discussing with your doctor.
Screenings Tied to Specific Risk Factors
Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes
Screening is recommended for adults aged 35 to 70 who are overweight (BMI of 25 or higher) or obese. For Asian Americans, the threshold is lower: a BMI of 23 or higher. Earlier screening may also be appropriate if you are American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or if you have a family history of diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, or polycystic ovarian syndrome. A simple blood test can catch prediabetes before it progresses to full diabetes, which is one of the few windows where early intervention can genuinely reverse course.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime should have a one-time ultrasound screening for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a dangerous bulge in the body’s largest artery. This screening is not recommended for men who have never smoked or for women at average risk. It’s a single test, not an ongoing screening schedule.
Osteoporosis
All women 65 and older should be screened with a bone density scan. Postmenopausal women younger than 65 should also be screened if they have one or more risk factors, including low body weight, a parent who fractured a hip, smoking, or heavy alcohol use. The screening helps identify bone loss early enough to prevent fractures, which become increasingly dangerous with age. There is currently no universal screening recommendation for men, though doctors may suggest testing for men with specific risk factors.
How Age Shapes Your Screening Schedule
Your screening needs change substantially across your lifetime. In your 20s, the list is relatively short: cervical cancer screening, cholesterol checks, blood pressure monitoring, and mental health screening. In your 30s, cervical screening options expand to include HPV testing. At 35, diabetes screening enters the picture if you’re overweight. At 40, mammography begins. At 45, colorectal cancer screening starts. By your 50s and 60s, you may add lung cancer screening if you have a smoking history, prostate cancer conversations if you’re male, bone density scans if you’re a postmenopausal woman, and more frequent cholesterol checks.
Risk factors can pull many of these timelines earlier. A strong family history of a particular cancer, belonging to a racial or ethnic group with higher incidence of a disease, or having a personal health history that elevates your risk can all shift the starting age downward. The ages listed above are for people at average risk. If you know your family history includes early-onset cancers, diabetes, or heart disease, your screening schedule should reflect that, and starting that conversation with a doctor sooner rather than later makes a real difference in what screening can catch.