Health Screenings for Men Over 40: The Checklist by Age

Short answer: The core health screenings for men over 40 are a blood pressure check every year, a diabetes test from age 35 if you are overweight, a cholesterol based heart risk estimate from 40, colorectal cancer screening from 45, and a one time hepatitis C test. Later decades add a PSA conversation (55 to 69), a lung CT for heavy smokers (50 to 80) and an aortic ultrasound for men 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Your doctor decides the exact schedule based on your history.

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests a yearly blood pressure check for every adult 40 and older.^[2]
• Colorectal cancer screening starts at 45 and continues through 75 for average risk men.^[1]
• Diabetes screening is recommended from 35 to 70 for men with overweight or obesity (BMI 25 or higher).^[1][5]
• PSA testing is a personal decision for men 55 to 69, made after talking through benefits and harms with a clinician.^[3][4]
• Smoking history changes the list: it adds lung cancer CT and an abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound at specific ages.^[1]
• Bring every supplement you take to your physical. Your doctor needs the full list to interpret labs and check interactions.

Why Screening Matters More After 40

The conditions that cause the most harm in midlife, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cardiovascular risk and early colorectal cancer, usually produce no symptoms in their early stages. Feeling fine tells you very little. Screening tests are designed for exactly this situation: they look for a problem in people who have no complaints, at a stage when it is easier to manage.

In the United States, the USPSTF is the independent panel that reviews the evidence and grades each screening. An A or B grade means the benefit is clear enough that most clinicians recommend it, and under the Affordable Care Act most private insurance plans cover A and B services without cost sharing. A C recommendation, like prostate screening for men 55 to 69, means the decision should be individual.^[1][3]

The checklist below is built only from current USPSTF and CDC recommendations. It is a starting point for the conversation with your doctor, not a substitute for it.

Health Screenings for Men by Age: The Checklist

Sources: USPSTF A and B Recommendations list, USPSTF hypertension and prostate cancer statements.^[1][2][3] Grades shown are those published by the USPSTF at the time of writing.

What changes decade by decade

• Your 40s: yearly blood pressure, diabetes test if your BMI is 25 or higher, cholesterol and heart risk estimate from 40, depression and anxiety screening, hepatitis C and HIV if never tested, colorectal screening from 45.
• Your 50s: everything above, plus a lung CT conversation if you have a heavy smoking history, and the PSA conversation from 55.
• Your 60s: continue the above; add the one time aortic ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you ever smoked.
• 70 and older: colorectal screening through 75; routine PSA screening is not recommended at 70 and older.^[3]

The Big Five in More Detail

1. Blood pressure

The USPSTF gives hypertension screening its top grade (A) for every adult. For men 40 and older, and for anyone at higher risk, a yearly check is a reasonable interval. The Task Force lists Black persons, people with high normal blood pressure and people with overweight or obesity as examples of higher risk groups. Before anyone starts treatment, high office readings should be confirmed outside the clinic with home or ambulatory monitoring on a validated device.^[2] If you take any supplement, ask whether it can affect blood pressure; our guide to supplements that raise blood pressure covers the common ones.

2. Diabetes and prediabetes

Screening is recommended for adults 35 to 70 with a BMI of 25 or higher. Prediabetes is defined by an HbA1c of 5.7% to 6.4%, or a two hour glucose of 140 to 199 mg/dL on a glucose tolerance test, and a positive test should be repeated before a diagnosis is made.^[5]

3. Cholesterol and heart risk

The USPSTF does not frame cholesterol as a stand alone test. Instead, it recommends a statin for adults 40 to 75 who have at least one cardiovascular risk factor and an estimated 10 year risk of 10% or more.^[1] A lipid panel is how your doctor gets the numbers for that risk calculation, so it belongs on the list from 40.

4. Colorectal cancer

Screening now begins at 45 (grade B for 45 to 49, grade A for 50 to 75).^[1] You can usually choose between a stool based test done at home and a direct visualization test such as colonoscopy. The interval depends on the test, so ask which option fits you and when the next one is due.

5. Prostate cancer: a conversation, not a reflex

For men 55 to 69, the USPSTF says the decision to have a PSA test should be individual, made after discussing benefits and harms with a clinician. For men 70 and older, it recommends against routine screening.^[3] The harms are real: when the draft was published, the Task Force estimated that of 1,000 men screened, about 240 would get a positive result but only about 100 of them would have cancer, and 1 to 2 would avoid death from prostate cancer.^[6] The USPSTF made no separate recommendation for African American men or men with a family history because the data were inadequate.^[4] If either applies to you, raise it with your doctor early, since many clinicians start this conversation sooner for higher risk men.

Other Tests Men Often Ask About

Several popular blood tests are not routine USPSTF screenings for men without symptoms. They are ordered when there is a reason, such as fatigue, low drive, numbness or a medication that affects absorption. If you have symptoms, these are reasonable questions to raise:

• Testosterone: useful only with symptoms, and timing matters because levels are higher in the morning. See the best time to check testosterone, normal testosterone levels and free vs total testosterone.
• Vitamin B12: worth checking if you take metformin or acid reducers, or have tingling or fatigue. Read our guide to B12 deficiency symptoms.
• Ferritin (iron stores): both low and high values matter in men. See low ferritin in men.
• Thyroid (TSH): considered when there is fatigue, weight change or low drive. See hypothyroidism symptoms in men.

Vaccines to Review at Your Checkup

A physical is also the right time to update vaccines. The CDC adult schedule for 2025 (updated July 2025) lists the following for adults without special conditions:^[7]

• Influenza: one dose every year.
• Tdap/Td: one dose of Tdap, then a Td or Tdap booster every 10 years.
• Shingles (recombinant zoster): 2 doses starting at age 50.
• Pneumococcal: recommended for adults 50 and older who have not received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
• RSV: adults 75 and older, and adults 50 to 74 with certain risk factors.
• COVID-19: ask about the current season’s vaccine.

Vaccine guidance has been changing frequently, so confirm the current schedule with your doctor or pharmacist.

How to Prepare for Your Physical

• Write down your family history: heart disease, diabetes, colorectal or prostate cancer in a father, brother or uncle, and at what age.
• Know your smoking history in pack years (packs per day multiplied by years smoked). It decides lung and aorta screening.
• Bring a list of every medication and supplement, with doses.
• Bring a week of home blood pressure readings if you have a monitor.
• Ask: “Which screenings am I due for this year, and which ones can wait?”

Telling your doctor about supplements

Herbal products can affect lab results, blood pressure and medications, so your doctor needs the exact label, not just a brand name. If you take Ultra Bann, for example, the label lists seven botanicals per capsule with every amount shown: Thai Butea superba 345 mg, Panax ginseng 110 mg, Cynomorium songaricum 85 mg, black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) 85 mg, tongkat ali 85 mg, epimedium 45 mg and reishi 45 mg, taken as one capsule every 2 days. You can print the full Ultra Bann ingredient label and bring it to your appointment. A supplement is never a reason to skip or delay any screening on this list. If you want to learn more about the product itself, visit the Ultra Bann shop, and for a general safety checklist see are supplements safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What health screenings should a man get at 40?

At 40, most men should have a yearly blood pressure check, a cholesterol based heart risk estimate, a diabetes test if their BMI is 25 or higher, depression and anxiety screening, and a one time hepatitis C test (plus HIV if never tested). Colorectal screening starts at 45.

Is an annual physical necessary for men?

The USPSTF does not grade the annual physical itself, but several of its recommendations, such as the yearly blood pressure check from 40, fit naturally into a yearly visit. It is also the easiest moment to review vaccines, medications and supplements.

Should I get a PSA test?

If you are 55 to 69, it is your decision after a discussion with your clinician about benefits and harms such as false positives and treatment side effects. Routine PSA screening is not recommended at 70 and older. If you are a Black man or have a close relative with prostate cancer, start that conversation earlier.

Are these screenings free?

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private insurance plans cover USPSTF A and B screenings without a copay when done in network. Coverage of follow up tests can differ, so check with your plan.

Do I need a colonoscopy, or is a stool test enough?

Both are accepted screening strategies for average risk adults. A positive stool test needs a follow up colonoscopy. Your doctor will help you choose based on your risk and preference.

References

1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. A and B Recommendations. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
2. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Hypertension in Adults: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, April 2021. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
3. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Final Recommendation Statement: Screening for Prostate Cancer, May 2018. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
4. Harvard Health Publishing. Influential task force issues new recommendations on prostate cancer screening (2018). health.harvard.edu
5. American Academy of Family Physicians. USPSTF Lowers Screening Age for Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes (2021). aafp.org
6. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations: An Update from USPSTF (2017). odphp.health.gov
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Immunization Schedule by Age, 2025 (addendum updated July 2, 2025). cdc.gov

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article is for information only and is not medical advice.