Health checks in your 40s

Turning 40 can be a time of renewed health focus. Perhaps your healthy habits have lapsed while juggling a career and family, and now you’re ready to get things back on track.

Health issues change with time. While it’s important to stay on top of the things that may have been relevant in your 20s and 30s, new health focuses can emerge in your 40s.

Here, we look at key health issues that you should be checking in your 40s, from eye health to type 2 diabetes.

Undiagnosed medical issues can have a snowball effect on your health. Left unaddressed, they can get worse and harder to treat over time.

The purpose of a health check is to detect these potential issues at an early stage, so they can be managed as best as possible.

Your GP can examine your health and look at your lifestyle and medical history. They may also recommend further checks or screenings based on things like:

• age
• weight
• ethnicity
• pre-existing conditions
• family history.

It’s a good idea to request a health check from a GP you’re comfortable with, and who’s familiar with your medical history.

Undiagnosed medical issues can have a snowball effect on your health. Left unaddressed, they can get worse and harder to treat over time.

The purpose of a health check is to detect these potential issues at an early stage, so they can be managed as best as possible.

Your GP can examine your health and look at your lifestyle and medical history. They may also recommend further checks or screenings based on things like:

• age
• weight
• ethnicity
• pre-existing conditions
• family history.

It’s a good idea to request a health check from a GP you’re comfortable with, and who’s familiar with your medical history.

As well as continuing to check the things that were relevant in your 20s and 30s, you may now also need to stay on top of the following checks.

Performed by: Ophthalmologist or optometrist

Frequency: Every 2 to 3 years for glaucoma (or more regularly if you have a higher risk of the disease)

Why: Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.¹ And while there’s no cure for blindness, early detection means you may be able to minimise damage to your eyes.

Testing your eyes can not only detect abnormalities like glaucoma, but also identify changes due to diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration (another cause of vision loss) and other problems that can affect your safety and wellbeing.

Performed by: Yourself and your GP

Frequency: Regular self-checks

Why: It’s important to get to know your breasts so that you can notice changes more easily. Things to look for include:

• changes in the size or shape of your breasts or nipples
• changes in the skin over your breasts, such as redness, dimpling, lumps or lumpiness.

BreastScreen Australia, the national breast cancer screening program, offers free breast screening by mammograms every 2 years to women and people who are transgender or gender diverse aged 50 to 74. Those aged 40 to 49 and 75 years and older are also able to be screened.²

If you have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your GP about when and how frequently you may need a breast cancer screening.

Mammograms can be less effective for younger people, as breast tissue is generally denser and can show up as white on an X-ray.³ For this reason, younger people may be better suited to an ultrasound.

Performed by: GP

Frequency: As symptoms occur

Why: Prostate problems increase with age,⁴ with common symptoms including:

• getting up more regularly to urinate at night
• difficulty urinating or with the strength of your urine stream
• pain when you urinate
• blood or unusual discharge in your urine
• struggling to start urinating.

Some people may experience these symptoms because of an enlarged prostate with cancer, but there may be other causes.

While it’s important to speak to your GP if you notice any symptoms of a prostate problem, routine screening for prostate cancer may not be recommended as it can lead to overdiagnosis (with associated side effects).⁵

If you have a family history of prostate cancer, or any other type of cancer, or any of the above symptoms, discuss the risks and benefits of a screening with your doctor so you can be fully informed before making any decisions.

Performed by: GP

Frequency: Once every 3 years over the age of 40

Why: If you’re over 40 and at risk of type 2 diabetes, you should be screened every 3 years for the condition.⁶

The Australian type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool can help you understand your risk factors, and allow your doctor to recommend any potential lifestyle and medical interventions.

Performed by: GP

Frequency: Once between the ages of 45 and 49

Why: The Australian Government offers a one-off health check to eligible people aged between 45 and 49 who are at risk of developing a chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.⁶

Talk to your GP to see if you qualify for the check.

The Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK) can estimate your type 2 diabetes risk within the next 5 years.