Preventive examinations in adults
Preventive check-ups are state-organised medical examinations covered by public health insurance. They consist of a classic medical examination, or general preventive examination, followed by any special examinations to detect certain diseases. You can use our calculator to see the recommended general preventive examinations and special examinations depending on your age, gender and risk factors.
A general preventive examination is carried out by a general practitioner once every 2 years. It consists in asking about the difficulties and past illnesses of the individual and the occurrence of diseases in family members. The general practitioner asks about and checks the vaccinations that have taken place. The GP also carries out a basic physical examination of the individual - blood pressure, height and weight are measured, and vision and hearing are assessed. In case of suspected rectal cancer, a per rectum examination is performed; in case of suspected testicular cancer or family history of testicular cancer, a palpation of the testicles is performed; in case of suspected breast cancer or family history of breast cancer, a palpation of the breasts is performed along with instruction on self-examination.
In addition, some special examinations are performed during preventive examinations, which are used to search (screen) for diseases. These screening tests must be simple, risk-free and have been proven to detect disease. At the same time, these tests should not falsely label a healthy individual as sick.
The following text lists the individual screening tests, their benefits and the age at which it is recommended to perform them.
ECG (electrocardiogram)
detection of rhythm disorders - atrial fibrillation, ventricular extrasystoles
detection of a previous myocardial infarction
at 40 years of age, then once every 4 years
Urinalysis with diagnostic paper
detection of kidney disease
1x every 2 years
Blood sampling to determine blood fats - total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides
high levels increase the risk of coronary artery disease and disease in other blood vessels in the body - this risk can be determined, for example, by the SCORE 2 scoring system using other risk factors such as blood pressure, age and smoking
first at the first visit to the general practitioner, then at the age of 30, 40, 50, 60 years.
Blood sampling to determine blood glucose levels - glycaemia
detection of diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus)
first at the first examination by a general practitioner, then at age 30, 40, then at 2-year intervals from age 40 onwards
Determination of occult bleeding in stool
detection of colorectal cancer
from 50 years of age 1x every 2 years
an alternative is to perform a colonoscopy once every 10 years
Mammographic examination in women
from the age of 45, then once every 2 years
Blood sampling to determine renal function (creatinine level) in patients with diabetes, hypertension or coronary disease
detection of kidney failure
from the age of 50, then once every 4 years
Blood collection for PSA (prostate specific antigen) in men
detection of prostate cancer
50 to 69 years of age
Read more at https://www.prostascreening.cz/
Preventive gynaecological examination in women
detection of cervical cancer
from 15 years of age, then 1x per year
Human papillomavirus (HPV) test in women
detection of cervical cancer
as part of preventive gynaecological examinations at the ages of 35, 45 and 55
Ultrasound examination of the aorta in men
detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm
one-time at the age of 65-67 years
Read more at https://zachransiaortu.uzis.cz/
Low-dose chest CT
detection of lung cancer
active or former smokers aged 55-74 who have smoked more than 1 pack of cigarettes per day for a total of 20 years
Read more at https://www.prevenceproplice.cz/
Changes in preventive examinations are planned for 2026. In the general preventive examination, the focus will also be on mental illnesses such as depression and dementia in the search for the presence of family history of illness. Waist circumference should also be recorded during the physical examination. Individuals over 65 years of age will be more closely monitored for frailty, risk of falls, quality of life, self-sufficiency and social background, among other things. Specialised screening examinations will be expanded and the age of some existing examinations will be changed. The main planned changes to screening tests are listed below:
Newly introduced examinations
Lipoprotein A - blood sampling once at the first preventive check-up, repeated in women at menopause
Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio - in patients at risk of kidney failure
Laboratory testing of liver function - in patients at risk of liver failure
NT-proBNP - laboratory testing in patients at risk of heart failure
Blood count in all patients at 25 years, at 30 years, then every 4 years, from 40 years every 2 years
Changes to the recommended age for existing examinations
Laboratory blood fat testing - now at age 25, from age 30, every 4 years, from age 40 every 2 years
Glycaemia - at 25 years, at 30 years, then every 4 years, from 40 years every 2 years
Laboratory renal function in diabetics, patients with hypertension or heart disease - frequency of testing 1x every 2 years from the original 1x every 4 years
ECG - new stricter for at-risk individuals, where ECG is recommended for the first time at 30 years, then once every 4 years, from 40 years once every 2 years, for individuals without increased cardiovascular risk the current scheme is unchanged
