Annual Medical Check up

A yearly check-up consists of a discussion with your doctor about your state of health, certain physical examinations and diagnostic tests.

Medical history
This is your opportunity to express any complaints or concerns about your health. We will probably also ask you about your lifestyle habits, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sexual health, nutrition and physical activity. We will also check your immunization status and update your personal and family health history.

Vital signs
The following vital signs, among others, will be checked:

• Blood pressure: A blood pressure of less than 120 over 80 is considered normal.

• Heart rate: Values between 60 and 100 are considered normal. However, many healthy people have a heart rate below 60.

• Respiration rate: A healthy adult has a normal respiration rate of 12 to 16 breaths per minute. If you breathe more than 20 times per minute, it may indicate heart or lung problems.

• Temperature: The average temperature is 98.6 degrees, but healthy people may have a slightly higher or lower resting temperature.

Clinical examination
The clinical examination includes, among other things:

• General appearance: We gather a lot of information about you and your state of health simply by observing you and talking to you. How are your memory and mental agility? Does your skin look healthy? Can you stand and walk well?

• Heart examination: When we listen to your heart with a stethoscope, we can detect an irregular heartbeat, heart murmurs or other signs of heart disease.

• Abdominal examination: We may use a variety of examination techniques, such as tapping on the abdomen to determine the size of the liver and the presence of abdominal fluid, listening to bowel sounds with a stethoscope, and feeling for tenderness.

• Neurological exam: This exam looks at nerves, muscle strength, reflexes, balance, and mental status.

• Dermatologic exam: Skin and nail findings may indicate a dermatologic problem or disease in another part of the body.

• Extremity exam: We look for physical and sensory changes. We may check the pulse in your arms and legs and check your joints for abnormalities. These include signs of poor circulation and fluid retention.

There are steps you can take to ensure you get the most out of your annual medical check-up.

• Take notes. Write down all the questions you want to ask your doctor and bring the list with you. This will help ensure you find out everything you need to know.

• Familiarize yourself with your medical history. Has anything changed since your last exam? Tell your doctor about any treatments or vaccinations you've had in the last year. Has another doctor diagnosed you with a new medical condition? Be sure to mention it.

• List your medications. Keep a list of all medications you take, including dosages. This may include medications prescribed by other doctors. If you take over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements, share them with your doctor as well. It is important that your doctor knows about all medications you take.

• Other health information. If you monitor your blood pressure or blood sugar levels, use a symptom meter or keep a health diary, bring this information with you. This will help your doctor to get a better picture of your state of health.

There is no standard set of tests for an annual check-up. However, we routinely arrange certain examinations and adapt them to the needs of each patient.

Laboratory tests

• Complete blood count

• Chemical panel

• Urinalysis (UA)

Functional tests

• Exercise ECG

• Pulmonary function test

• ABI measurement

Imaging techniques

• Abdominal ultrasound

• Thyroid ultrasound

• Echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound)

• Extended vascular screening