Most people don’t forget birthdays, anniversaries, or renewal dates, but when it comes to yearly health milestones, it’s easy to let things slide. Preventive care, while about catching things early, is also about protecting your long-term health with small, strategic check-ins at every stage of life.
Whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, having a simple, decade-specific checklist can make all the difference. At ProPartners Healthcare, we make this even easier through Direct Primary Care in Kansas City and Overland Park.
Here’s what to keep on your radar based on your age.
Preventive Checklist for Your 20s
Your 20s are about building a strong foundation.
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Annual physical exam
Build a baseline and monitor your health year to year. -
Cervical cancer screening (Pap smear) every 3 years (or as recommended)
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STD testing annually or based on sexual activity
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Skin check for changing moles
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Mental health screening
Anxiety and depression often begin in this decade. -
Vaccines: Tdap booster, HPV (if not completed earlier), annual flu shot
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Lifestyle markers: blood pressure, weight, sleep patterns, exercise routine
Preventive Checklist for Your 30s
Life gets busy and care often gets delayed. This is when proactive screening becomes crucial.
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Annual physical exam
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Pap smear every 3 years
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Cholesterol screening every year
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Diabetes screening if overweight or at-risk
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Skin cancer check
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Mental health and stress assessment
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Family planning & fertility discussion if relevant
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Vaccines updated per physician guidance (flu, Tdap, COVID, etc.)
Preventive Checklist for Your 40s
This decade marks the start of some bigger screenings.
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Annual physical exam
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Mammogram starting at 40 (or earlier if high-risk)
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Cholesterol screening
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Diabetes screening
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Thyroid function screening (common age for thyroid issues)
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Pap smear + HPV testing every 3 years
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Colorectal cancer screening may begin at 45
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Vision screening (risk of eye changes increases)
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Skin check
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Mental health evaluation, burnout peaks in this decade
Preventive Checklist for Your 50s
Time to prioritize early detection.
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Annual physical exam
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Colonoscopy every 10 years (or as recommended)
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Mammograms annually
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Prostate cancer screening discussion for men
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Bone density discussion (especially for women nearing menopause)
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Thyroid testing
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Lipids, blood sugar, and metabolic labs
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Hearing and vision screening
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Vaccines: shingles, flu, pneumonia (per doctor recommendation)
Preventive Checklist for Your 60s and Beyond
This decade is about optimizing mobility, brain health, and the systems that keep you strong and independent.
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Annual physical exam
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Colonoscopy (continue until age 75 unless otherwise advised)
- Mammograms annually
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Bone density scan every 2-3 years
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Blood pressure & cardiovascular screenings
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Diabetes and cholesterol tests
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Cognitive and memory screening
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Fall-risk evaluation & mobility review
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Vision & hearing exams
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Vaccines: flu, shingles, pneumonia, Tdap booster, RSV
Why This Checklist Matters
Preventive care isn’t just about checking boxes, it’s about protecting your long-term health with the right guidance at the right time. When you stay consistent with your screenings, you reduce your risk of silent conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and early cancers that often go unnoticed without routine monitoring.
Working with a Direct Primary Care provider gives you access to a doctor who actually has the time to walk through these milestones with you. Instead of rushed appointments or insurance-driven limitations, concierge medicine services allow for longer visits, personalized care planning, and the ability to follow up quickly when something changes.
For patients looking for primary care in Overland Park and throughout the KC metro, these preventive milestones help ensure you’re staying ahead of problems. And staying ahead means feeling better, looking better, and living longer.
Your health deserves more than rushed visits and long waits, it deserves direct access to a doctor who truly cares. Contact us today or enroll online to get started with ProPartners Healthcare.
