Dr Dan Brook, GP and UK Medical Director at Ezra, part of Function, which provides multi-organ MRI health screening, on the three health checks every man should prioritise:
1. Do a full blood panel (and add a PSA test from 40)
A comprehensive blood test covers a lot of ground: cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid health, vitamin levels, inflammation, and a look at how the liver and kidneys are functioning. It’s the most accessible check and the one men consistently put off. From 40, it’s also worth adding a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, a simple blood test that can flag changes in the prostate, now the site of the most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK men.
‘Many men feel flat or low on energy and put it down to stress or a bad week of sleep. Sometimes that’s right. But a full blood panel can show whether something underlying is going on, from a vitamin deficiency to early metabolic changes or signs that the liver is under strain. The liver takes a lot of pressure in midlife and rarely complains until it has to. A blood panel won’t show you everything, but it tells you whether the basics need a closer look.’
2. Consider a multi-organ MRI
Liver disease, kidney issues and prostate cancer are among the conditions that can be well established before any symptoms appear. A multi-organ MRI looks specifically at the places conventional tests miss, including the prostate, which is now the site of the most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK men.
‘The challenge in proactive medicine is that many serious conditions don’t announce themselves. The prostate is a good example. Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer had no warning signs at all. A multi-organ MRI offers a level of detail that conventional testing can’t match. For men who want a thorough picture of where they stand, particularly those over 50 or with a family history of cancer, that can mean catching something while it’s still treatable.’
3. Know your cardiovascular risk
Heart disease remains one of the biggest threats to men’s long-term health, yet cardiovascular risk is something many men never have properly assessed. Understanding yours means looking at family history, smoking, weight and blood pressure, alongside blood tests including cholesterol and, where possible, Lipoprotein(a) and Apolipoprotein B, which give a sharper read on heart disease risk than standard cholesterol alone.
‘Performance metrics from a watch or a gym session tell you how fit you are, not what’s happening in your arteries. I’d encourage men to have a proper conversation with their doctor about cardiovascular risk, which means looking at family history, blood pressure and the right blood tests. If that picture suggests elevated risk, there are further checks, such as a CT angiogram or carotid ultrasound, that look at the arteries directly. It’s a far more useful starting point than assuming a good gym routine has it covered.‘