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Ahead is live in Zurich, Basel, Rheinfelden and Thalwil - book your scan

EARLY DETECTION

Preventative health examination in Switzerland: Is a standard check-up enough?

13 October 2025

Written by

Ferdinand Skaugerum

Dr Anna Erat

Reviewed by

Anna Erat, MD, PhD

Anna Erat, MD, PhD

Doctor talking with patient about results from a check-up
Doctor talking with patient about results from a check-up
Doctor talking with patient about results from a check-up
Doctor talking with patient about results from a check-up

You’re proactive about your health. The idea of a Vorsorgeuntersuchung, or preventive check-up, makes perfect sense to you. But what does the check-up actually cover, and more importantly, does it give you the complete peace of mind you're looking for?

The reality is that traditional preventive care often feels like a puzzle with missing pieces. It’s a series of fragmented, age-based screenings that can overlook the bigger picture of your health, leaving you with nagging questions and uncertainty about silent risks. 

This article cuts through the confusion. We'll break down the standard Swiss check-up, highlight its limitations for those who want to be truly proactive, and introduce a more comprehensive approach, the full-body check-up combined with an advanced blood panel, designed to fill in some of the gaps of the traditional check-up. 

What is a standard check-up in Switzerland?

First, it's important to understand that a Swiss preventative health examination isn't one single, standardised exam. It is a collection of recommended screenings based on your age, gender, and known risk factors. Usually coordinated by your GP, these check-ups benefit from your GPs expertise and holistic view of your health.

Yet, the current process of the standard check-up is often reactive, not proactive. It's typically triggered by reaching a certain age or having a family history of a specific disease, rather than by your desire for a complete and proactive health baseline. A visit to your GP could lead to a basic lab test, or even multiple visits to multiple testing locations, which then can result in referrals to different specialists, often with long waits in between.

Which check-ups should you take at which age?

The Swiss healthcare system recommends a timeline of specific preventive screenings. See, for example, recommendations by the University Hospital of Zurich. And while more than 40% of Swiss residents believe that we need more measures to promote health, only 44% of Swiss residents go regularly for preventive check-ups, and 30% never do (CSS, 2024).

While your GP will tailor this to your personal situation, the general guidelines provide a useful overview.

General recommendations (for everyone)

  • From age 20: A preventive check-up is generally recommended from the age of 20, at least to establish a baseline. Various factors such as gender, age, lifestyle and illnesses in the family can guide which specific tests to take and how often. As a general recommendation, the Swiss healthcare system recommends:

    • oral interview and counseling on lifestyle

    • physical examination (height, weight, BMI)

    • blood pressure measurement

    • blood sampling for a complete blood count

    • stop-smoking counseling for smokers

    • skin check and advice on sun exposure for people with fair skin or increased sun exposure

  • From age 35-40: Regular cardiovascular check-ups become important. This typically includes monitoring your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels to assess your risk for heart disease and diabetes.

  • From age 50: Colon cancer screening is recommended for both men and women. This is crucial for detecting polyps and early-stage cancer when it's most treatable.

  • Ongoing: Regular skin checks with a dermatologist are advised to monitor for any changes or signs of skin cancer, regardless of your age.

Specific check-ups for women

  • Annual gynaecological visit: This is a cornerstone of preventive care for women, including a Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer.

  • Breast cancer screening from age 50: This typically involves mammograms every two years. However, a Mamma MRI is known to be more sensitive than mammography at detecting nearly all invasive cancers and a majority of in-situ (noninvasive) cancers, offering a more detailed screening option.

Specific check-ups for men

  • Prostate cancer screening from age 50: Men are advised to discuss prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and physical exams with their doctor, especially if they have a family history of the disease.

Comprehensive Preventive Examination Guide

Examination
Recommended Interval
Target Group
Cardiovascular screening



Blood pressure

• Ages 18-39: Every 3 years

• Ages 40+: Yearly

All adults

Cholesterol

• Standard: Every 5 years from age 40

• With cardiovascular disease: As directed

Adults 40+

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

One-time screening

Men 65+ with family history

Cancer screening



Breast cancer

• Standard: Every 2 years from 50-75

• With genetic risk: Every 2 years from 40

Women

Cervical cancer

• Ages 21-29: PAP test every 3 years

• Ages 30-70: HPV/PAP combined every 3 years

Women

Prostate cancer

• Discussion about screening: 50-70

• Testing interval: Every 1-3 years if chosen

Men

Colon cancer

• Stool test: Every 2 years, ages 50-75

• Colonoscopy: Every 10 years, ages 50-75

• With family history: Every 1-5 years from age 40

Adults

Skin cancer

As recommended based on risk

People with risk factors

Lung cancer

Every 1.5-2 years

Heavy smokers (50-80 years)

Metabolic health



Diabetes screening

• Standard: Every 3 years from age 40

• With risk factors: Every 1-3 years

Adults 40+
Earlier for overweight

Other important screenings



Bone density

• Standard: From age 65

• With risk: From age 50 with fracture risk

Women post-menopause

Anyone with risk factors

Glaucoma

Individual, based on risk

From age 40 with family history

What's included in a standard health check-up?

A standard health check-up with your GP is a valuable part of managing your health. It typically involves three key components:

  1. Medical history: A discussion about your lifestyle, family health history, and any symptoms you may be experiencing.

  2. Physical exam: Checking vitals like heart rate and blood pressure, listening to your lungs, and a general physical assessment.

  3. Basic blood tests: A standard panel might check for high cholesterol, signs of diabetes, or basic markers of liver and kidney function.

But here is what this process misses: a look inside, beyond your blood values, e.g., at your organs, spine, lymphatic system, and the body’s muscles, bones and soft tissues. While essential, the traditional check-up only assesses your health from the outside, potentially with some blood results included. They aren't designed to detect silent issues like early-stage tumours, aneurysms, or subtle organ changes before symptoms apear.

Limitations of traditional health check-ups 

Standard preventative screenings should be seen as the basis. The history, exam, and lab tests led by your GP provide a foundation for ongoing health. However, for anyone who feels healthy but worries about what might be going on beneath the surface, the traditional approach has gaps. 

The gaps in standard prevention

  • Reactive, not proactive: Screenings often begin only when your risk is already statistically higher due to age. This "wait-and-see" model can miss the crucial window for early intervention.

  • Fragmented, not holistic: The system requires you to navigate multiple appointments with different doctors and clinics. This creates delays, anxiety, and a disconnected view of your overall health.

  • Generic, not personalised: The advice is based on broad population data, not on your unique physiology. It doesn't provide a precise, personal baseline from which to measure future changes.

Why this matters: This approach often fails to deliver the deep reassurance and sense of control that health-conscious individuals are actively seeking. It answers basic questions but leaves the most important ones—"Am I truly okay, right now?"—unanswered. 

The healthcare expert’s perspective

According to Dr. Anna Erat MD, PhD, we're living in an era of what we call 4P-Medicine: predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory. Where we used to act reactively, we now want to act preventively and, above all, in a personalized way. To make that happen, it's important to establish a good baseline that allows you to make recommendations and act in a personalized way.

“Nowadays in preventive medicine, we want to triangulate methods. That means we want to use different methods to get a holistic picture of health status. Using different methods, or modalities of data, is very important and gives us much more information than with a traditional check-up using only medical history, a physical exam and a basic blood test.”

The modern alternative: the comprehensive full-body check-up

A comprehensive check-up, built around advanced imaging and in-depth blood analysis, offers a powerful, proactive alternative. It is designed to complement and empower GPs in supporting your health, not replace their essential role, by providing a detailed, data-driven picture of your current health, giving them a bigger foundation to guide you on your health. 

What does a full-body check-up include?

At Ahead Health, we believe a full-body check-up should cover both imaging and blood analysis. This includes:

  • Radiation-free full-body MRI scan: To create a detailed map of your vital organs, tissues, and vascular system. This allows doctors, and you, to look for potential issues like tumours, inflammation, or structural abnormalities long before they might cause symptoms.

  • Advanced blood analysis: To establish a detailed baseline, we believe you should broaden the standard lab test to also check the function of your kidneys, liver, and thyroid, your immune system, overall blood health, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol for heart health. This gives you deep insights into your metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory health, revealing risks that a basic check-up simply cannot, especially when combined with MRI.

Depending on your specific situation and family history, a full-body check-up could also include:

  • Heart CT calcium scoring: A specialized scan (with low-dose radiation) to precisely measure calcified plaque in your coronary arteries, a key indicator of heart attack risk.

  • Mamma MRI: A highly sensitive screening for breast tissue (with contrast dye), often recommended for women with dense breasts or higher risk profiles.

  • DEXA scan: A scan (with low-dose radiation) that provides a detailed analysis of your bone density, visceral fat, and overall body composition.

The key differences: a clear comparison

Standard check-up
Full-body check-up with MRI and blood analysis

Reactive: Waits for age-related risk

Proactive: Establishes your health baseline today

Fragmented: Multiple appointments and long waits

Comprehensive: One efficient appointment provides a holistic view

Generic: Based on population averages

Personalised: Actionable insights tailored to your unique body

Ahead Health’s offering

With our most popular package “Ahead Advanced”, you get both a full-body MRI scan – including a gender-specific sequence covering ovaries or prostate, and longevity biomarkers such as body composition and brain volume – and advanced blood analysis. We also offer add-ons such as:

  • Vitamins blood panel, including vitamin B12, vitamin D and ferritin

  • Hormones blood pane, including FSH, Estradiol, testosterone and PSA

  • Heart CT calcium scoring

  • Mamma MRI

  • DEXA scan

Your questions about full-body scans, answered

Making a significant investment in your health comes with questions. Here are clear answers to some of the most common concerns.

What is the difference between preventive care and a check-up?

Preventive care encompasses all measures for the early detection of diseases, including individual examinations such as a Mamma MRI and heart CT calcium scoring. A check-up, on the other hand, is a general examination by your family doctor without any specific reason. Many believe that an annual check-up covers everything, but this is not true. Certain preventive examinations, such as MRI scans to check for breast or prostate cancer, must be scheduled separately.

What are the costs of a full-body check-up in Switzerland?

The cost of a comprehensive full-body check-up in Switzerland is a direct investment in your long-term health and, most importantly, your peace of mind. At Ahead Health, our pricing is transparent and all-inclusive, unlike fragmented screenings that are billed separately. Depending on your selected package, the Ahead Health check-up covers advanced imaging, comprehensive blood analysis, and a detailed, personalised report and action plan, reviewed by one of our senior Swiss physicians. You find the prices for all our scans here.

Do I need a doctor's referral to book a scan?

No referral is needed from a GP. We believe you should be empowered to take control of your health journey. You can book your full-body MRI test directly with us, making the process simple and accessible. We put you in the driver's seat.

What if you find something? I'm worried about bad news.

This is a common question we hear, and it's a completely valid concern. We see it differently: knowledge is control. Finding potential issues when they are small and manageable isn't bad news—it's the best time to find them. Knowing gives you the power to act, to make informed decisions, and to get ahead of your health outcome.

Are you ready for true health clarity?

A traditional "Vorsorgeuntersuchung" is a responsible first step in managing your health. But if you want to move beyond just managing risk and towards actively building a healthier future, a comprehensive full-body check-up provides the full picture you need.

If you’re ready to stop worrying about the unknown and start taking control with a detailed, actionable baseline of your health, Ahead Health is your next step.

Conclusion

The Swiss healthcare system provides a solid foundation for preventive care. And the GPs play a vital role, coordinating and providing personalised care. Yet, the traditional, reactive model for a check-up isn't always enough to provide true peace of mind. A standard check-up is passive; a comprehensive full-body scan, combining full-body MRI scan and advanced blood tests, empowers you to take control and get ahead of your own health. It exchanges uncertainty for clarity, anxiety for control, and worry for the deep and lasting reassurance that you are doing everything you can for your future.

The Swiss healthcare system provides a solid foundation for preventive care. And the GPs play a vital role, coordinating and providing personalised care. Yet, the traditional, reactive model for a check-up isn't always enough to provide true peace of mind. A standard check-up is passive; a comprehensive full-body scan, combining full-body MRI scan and advanced blood tests, empowers you to take control and get ahead of your own health. It exchanges uncertainty for clarity, anxiety for control, and worry for the deep and lasting reassurance that you are doing everything you can for your future.

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