Verbatim response from Perplexity
If you want a full picture of your health, the most common yearly baseline blood tests are a CBC, CMP, lipid panel, and HbA1c; many clinicians also add TSH depending on age, symptoms, and risk factors.[1][3][4][10]
A practical annual lab set to discuss with your doctor is:
- Complete blood count (CBC) — checks red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin/hematocrit, and platelets; useful for anemia, infection, inflammation, and some blood disorders.[1][4][13]
- Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) — checks kidney and liver function, electrolytes, and glucose; it gives a broad snapshot of metabolism and organ function.[1][3][10]
- Lipid panel — measures total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides; this helps estimate cardiovascular risk.[1][3][7]
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) — shows average blood sugar over the last 2–3 months and is used to screen for prediabetes/diabetes.[1][3][10]
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) — often added when there are symptoms of thyroid problems or if your clinician wants a broader screening panel.[3][6][10]
Tests that are sometimes included, but are not universally needed every year for every healthy adult:
- Fasting glucose — often already included in a CMP, and sometimes repeated separately if you have diabetes risk.[1][3]
- Urinalysis (UA) — some clinicians include this as part of routine annual testing, though it is less universally recommended than CBC/CMP/lipids.[4]
- Iron studies / ferritin — usually for symptoms of anemia, heavy periods, dietary restriction, or known deficiency rather than routine screening.[2]
- Vitamin D, CRP, apolipoprotein B, testosterone, PSA — generally more situation-specific than routine yearly screening.[8][10][1]
A few important nuances:
- Routine testing is not the same for everyone. Age, sex, family history, medications, pregnancy, symptoms, and chronic conditions change what is useful.[1][5][10]
- Lipid testing frequency varies. One source notes baseline screening around ages 35–40 for average risk, with more frequent checks if risk factors are present.[1] Another notes broader screening intervals may be every 4–6 years for average-risk adults, with annual testing if risk is higher.[3]
- PSA screening is not a universal yearly blood test. It is usually a shared decision with your clinician rather than a default annual screen.[1][10]
If you want, I can turn this into a minimal annual lab checklist versus a more comprehensive “full picture” panel based on your age and sex.