Don't forget, free preventive check-ups are available to you!

As reported by the LETA agency to the National Health Service (NHS), the most common risk factors are smoking, arterial hypertension or high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. The NHS reminds that free preventive check-ups with a family doctor, heart health checks, diabetes screenings, and screenings for four types of cancer are available to adults of certain ages. These state-funded checks are conducted without a general queue. If a person has not visited their family doctor for any illness within a year, they can undergo a state-funded preventive check-up during this time. To do this, the patient needs to contact the family doctor's practice and arrange a visit time. There is no patient fee for the check-up. During the preventive check-up, the family doctor listens to the patient's complaints, assesses their health condition, and, if necessary, measures blood pressure and pulse, checks weight, height, skin, and mucous membranes, listens to the heart and lungs, and examines and palpates the cervical, axillary, and groin lymph nodes. The doctor may also assess the patient's vision, hearing, mental, sensory, motor, and neurological functions, evaluate the condition of the thyroid gland, and palpate the abdomen. After the examination, the family doctor may recommend additional tests or consultations with specialists, as well as provide recommendations on what to pay attention to regarding health in the future. Patients aged 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 are also assessed for cardiovascular disease risk using the SCORE method during their preventive check-up with a family doctor. If necessary, the history of cardiovascular diseases and smoking is assessed, blood pressure, body mass index, levels of total cholesterol, low-density and high-density cholesterol, and triglycerides are measured, the heart and carotid arteries are listened to, and an electrocardiogram is evaluated. During the annual preventive check-up with a family doctor, certain patients without diabetes risk factors are also eligible for state-funded fasting plasma glucose level testing. This is conducted for patients aged 40 and every three years for individuals aged 45 to 72. On the other hand, if the family doctor determines that the patient has an elevated body weight, meaning a body mass index of at least 25 kilograms per square meter, and at least one other risk factor, or if borderline hyperglycemia has been previously diagnosed, the fasting plasma glucose level must be determined every year. The organized NHS cancer preventive check-up program includes screenings for cervical, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The service emphasizes that precancerous changes often do not cause complaints and have no symptoms, so a person may not even suspect the disease. Regular screening allows for the detection of the disease and timely initiation of treatment. For cervical and breast cancer screenings, women of certain ages receive invitation letters, which also serve as referrals for receiving the service. Visiting a doctor and the preventive check-up are fully funded by the state. Women aged 25 to 29 receive an invitation for cervical cancer screening every three years, while women aged 30 to 70 receive one every five years. The NHS explains that in 2025, a new and more effective screening method will be introduced - the human papillomavirus test, or HPV test. If the result is negative, the next screening is scheduled for five years later, as the risk of developing cancer during this period is negligible. The invitation letter for breast cancer screening is sent every two years to women aged 50 to 68. Invitation letters are sent approximately three months after the birthday by mail to the declared place of residence or to the email address on the "Latvija.gov.lv" portal, if one has been created. Screenings for colorectal cancer are organized for both women and men, as well as prostate cancer screenings for men. State-funded preventive check-ups for colorectal cancer are recommended every two years for women and men aged 50 to 74. The preventive check-up for prostate cancer is provided every two years for all men aged 50 to 75. It is also recommended every two years for men aged 45 to 50 if prostate cancer has been diagnosed in any blood relatives. To undergo the check-up, one must contact the family doctor's practice. During the visit, the doctor issues a referral for a blood sample to determine the level of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in the laboratory. Prostate cancer is the most common tumor of the urinary and reproductive systems in men, as well as the second most common malignant tumor in men over 40. The risk of developing this disease doubles if someone in the family has had prostate cancer, but if two close relatives have had it, the risk increases ninefold.