A common pattern: a man feels fine, so he skips the checkup. Then a friend his age has a heart attack, or a coworker mentions a colon polyp, and suddenly he wonders which tests he was supposed to be getting all along.
Men’s health screenings by age start with a blood pressure check from 18 on, add diabetes and colorectal cancer screening in your 30s and 40s, and later include lung, prostate, and aortic aneurysm checks depending on your age and smoking history. The ages in this guide come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts that reviews the evidence on preventive care.
Feeling healthy is exactly when screening does its job. These tests look for problems before they cause symptoms, when they’re often easier to treat.
How screening ages for men are decided
The USPSTF reviews research on each test and decides who benefits enough to outweigh the harms, such as false alarms, extra procedures, and worry. Its recommendations are for people without symptoms. If you already have symptoms, such as blood in your stool or trouble urinating, that’s not screening. See your doctor for a diagnosis.
Your own doctor may advise earlier or more frequent tests if you have a family history, a chronic condition, or other risk factors. The checklist below is a starting point, not a substitute for that conversation.
Men’s health screening checklist by age
Print this table or save a screenshot. Each row shows what the USPSTF recommends and the ages it states.
| Screening | 20s–30s | 40s | 50s to early 60s | 65 and older |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure | Yes, all adults 18 and older | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes | From 35, if you have overweight or obesity | Yes, if overweight or obesity | Yes, if overweight or obesity | Yes, through age 70, if overweight or obesity |
| Cholesterol (lipid panel) | Ask your doctor, especially with a family history | Ask how often, based on your heart risk | Ask how often | Ask how often |
| Hepatitis C | Once, for adults 18 to 79 | Once, if not done | Once, if not done | Once, through age 79, if not done |
| Colorectal cancer | Not routine unless high risk | Starting at 45 | Yes | Through 75; 76 to 85 is an individual decision |
| Lung cancer (low-dose CT) | No | No | Yearly from 50, if you meet the smoking criteria | Yearly through 80, if you meet the criteria |
| Prostate cancer (PSA) | No | No | Individual decision from 55 | Individual decision through 69; not routine at 70+ |
| Abdominal aortic aneurysm | No | No | No | One-time ultrasound, ages 65 to 75, if you have ever smoked |
| Vaccines | Review with your doctor | Review | Review | Review; more are advised for older adults |
Blood pressure in every decade
High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, so a reading is the only way to know. The USPSTF recommends screening all adults 18 and older and confirming a high office reading with measurements outside the clinic, such as home monitoring, before starting treatment. Ask your doctor how often you need a check based on your numbers and risk.
Diabetes and cholesterol from your mid-30s
The USPSTF recommends screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in adults ages 35 to 70 who have overweight or obesity. A simple blood test does the job. Cholesterol checks are a routine part of measuring heart risk, and your doctor will suggest a schedule based on your age, family history, and other numbers. If your waist has been growing, our guide to belly fat in men explains why waist size matters for these risks.
Colorectal cancer from 45
The USPSTF recommends colorectal cancer screening for adults ages 45 to 75. For ages 76 to 85, the decision is individual and depends on your health and past screening. Colonoscopy is one option, but not the only one. Stool-based tests you do at home and other imaging tests are also on the list, each with its own schedule. Ask which one suits you.
You may need to start earlier if a parent, brother, or sister had colorectal cancer or advanced polyps, or if you have inflammatory bowel disease.
Lung cancer if you smoked
The USPSTF recommends a yearly low-dose CT scan for adults ages 50 to 80 who:
- have a 20 pack-year smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years), and
- currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
Screening stops once someone has not smoked for 15 years. If you smoke now, ask about help quitting at the same visit.
Prostate cancer: a decision, not an automatic test
For men ages 55 to 69, the USPSTF advises an individual decision about PSA screening after talking with a clinician about possible benefits and harms. PSA testing can find cancers early, but it can also lead to false alarms, biopsies, and treatment of slow-growing cancers that might never cause problems. The USPSTF recommends against routine PSA screening for men 70 and older.
If you’ve already had a PSA test, our guide to PSA test results explains what the numbers can and can’t tell you.
Aortic aneurysm after 65
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a bulge in the body’s main artery, in the belly. It usually causes no symptoms until it’s large or ruptures. The USPSTF recommends a one-time ultrasound for men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. For men in that age group who never smoked, it’s an individual decision with your doctor.
Vaccines at every age
Vaccine advice changes with age, health conditions, and new guidance, so it’s easiest to review your record with your doctor or pharmacist each year. The CDC keeps an adult immunization schedule that your care team uses.
Which men’s screenings to start with, by situation
If you haven’t seen a doctor in years
Start with a general checkup. Ask for a blood pressure reading, a review of which screenings you’re due for, and a vaccine check. You don’t have to catch up on everything in one day.
If you smoke or used to
Two screenings depend on smoking history: lung cancer (ages 50 to 80, if you meet the criteria) and aortic aneurysm (one-time, ages 65 to 75). Work out your pack-years before the visit: packs per day multiplied by years smoked.
If cancer or heart disease runs in your family
Write down who had what, and at what age. A close relative with colorectal or prostate cancer, or early heart disease, can change when your doctor wants to start testing.
Questions to bring to your men’s health checkup
Copy these into your phone’s notes:
- Based on my age and history, which screenings am I due for this year?
- What is my blood pressure, and how often should I check it?
- When should I have my cholesterol and blood sugar tested again?
- Which colorectal screening test do you suggest for me, and how often?
- Given my smoking history, do I qualify for lung or aneurysm screening?
- What are the pros and cons of a PSA test for me?
- Which vaccines am I missing?
- I snore loudly and feel tired during the day. Should I be tested for sleep apnea?
That last one matters more than many men think. Sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Our guide to sleep apnea in men covers the signs.
Symptoms that should not wait for a screening appointment
Screening is for men who feel fine. Make a regular appointment soon if you notice:
- Blood in your stool or urine, or black, tarry stools
- A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks
- Trouble urinating, a weak stream, or pain when urinating
- A lump or swelling in a testicle
- A cough that won’t go away, or coughing up blood
- Unexplained weight loss
Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, sudden shortness of breath, signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech), or sudden, severe pain in the belly or back, which can be a sign of a ruptured aneurysm.
Book one overdue men’s health screening this week
Look at your row in the checklist, pick the one test you’re most overdue for, and call to book it this week. Bring the printed table and the questions above to the appointment.
Some checks you can do at home between visits. Our step-by-step guide to the testicular self-exam shows how to get to know what’s normal for you.
