The check-up from age 35: which values it includes
The essentials at a glance
Many people expect the health examination to include a comprehensive blood count. What it actually provides for is set out in a guideline and is more limited.
The reason for this appears in the same guideline, right in the section on its purpose. It explains the scope and is not a criticism of it.
You will read a fact check of three widespread statements, the quoted source in full, three documented facts, a comparison of the scope of services, and what follows from this for other questions.
What to expect in this article
1. Expectations surrounding the check-up
2. Three statements in a fact check
3. What the guideline provides for
4. The documented source
5. Why the purpose explains the scope
6. Three documented facts
7. The core point in one sentence
8. The age limits in detail
9. Comparing the scope of services
10. Which questions remain unanswered
11. Who may benefit from an addition
12. What a test from capillary blood can show here
13. Limitations: what even an addition leaves unanswered
14. What matters about the check-up
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Expectations surrounding the check-up
The check-up from age 35 has a good reputation in everyday life but an unclear scope. Many people know it exists, but few know exactly what it includes.
The common idea is of a comprehensive blood test. Anyone who then asks about a specific nutrient is surprised when the corresponding value does not appear in the results. This surprise can be avoided by knowing in advance what is included.
This article reports what is stated in the relevant guideline. It does not disparage the service and explicitly does not advise against making use of it.
What it does is outline the scope and explain why it is defined that way. The explanation appears in the same guideline, and it is factual.
First, the most important point: Anyone entitled to this examination should make use of it. Everything else in this article builds on that, not against it.
Three statements in a fact check
These three statements come up as soon as the check-up is mentioned.
Checked against the documentary evidence
Widespread
“They test all your blood values.”
Covered
For insured persons aged 35 and over, the guideline specifies a lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose as blood tests, as well as a urine dipstick test and, once, screening for hepatitis B and C (G-BA, effective 2021-02-12).
Widespread
“That’s only available from age 35.”
Covered
There is also an entitlement before that age. The guideline states: Insured persons are entitled to a general health examination once between their 18th birthday and the end of their 35th year (effective 2021-02-12).
Widespread
“If nothing stands out, everything is fine.”
Covered
An examination says something about what it examines. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) generally notes that an individual laboratory value is always only one component of an overall diagnosis (as of 2 April 2025).
What the directive provides
The responsible document is the Health Examination Directive of the Federal Joint Committee. It states the scope of services in black and white.
For insured persons aged 35 and over, it lists the lipid profile as blood tests—that is, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides—as well as fasting plasma glucose (effective 12 February 2021).
A urine test is also included. For this, the directive lists protein, glucose, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and nitrite as a urine dipstick test.
In addition, from age 35, there is a one-time entitlement to screening for hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections. In addition to the laboratory values, the examination also includes a medical history and physical examination, which are not covered in this article.
What the laboratory component covers
Adding up the blood values listed gives a total of five: the four components of the lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose.
These five concern two topics. The lipid profile concerns fat metabolism, while fasting plasma glucose concerns glucose metabolism. Both topics are highly significant in the population, and that is precisely what the purpose section addresses; its wording appears in the next chapter.
The urine dipstick test is added as a third topic. In a single step, it checks five parameters for indications that may point in different directions.
What is important here is what this list is not: an assessment. It describes the scope of services, and whether that is sufficient for a particular person is decided by the medical practice carrying out the examination.
The documented source
The sentence explaining the scope is not listed with the laboratory values, but rather in the purpose section at the very beginning.
Documented source
“serve to identify and assess health risks and burdens and to detect diseases of significance in population medicine at an early stage”
Federal Joint Committee
Health Examination Directive, General Section, Section 2 (1), effective 12 February 2021
One word in this sentence explains the entire scope: population medicine.
The examination focuses on diseases that are significant for the population as a whole. It is not an individual nutrient profile and was never intended to be one.
This makes the selection of values understandable. The lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose address issues that play a major role in the population, while the urine dipstick test covers several areas at once with little effort.
Why the purpose explains the scope
The difference between two questions is what the entire article is about, and it is rarely named.
One question is: Which examination provides the greatest benefit in a large group of people? The other is: What would I personally like to know about myself?
Both questions are legitimate and lead to different answers. The guideline explicitly answers the first, and IQWiG reminds us why this question is framed so strictly: Not all screening examinations improve health; they can also be useless or even harmful (as of 09/30/2009).
The second question therefore remains unanswered, and that is not a shortcoming of the guideline. It is a consequence of what it was written for.
The distinction can be illustrated with an example. A value that leads to a consequence for very few people offers little benefit in a population-wide program, even if it would be important for the individual affected.
Conversely, the same value may be useful to someone with a specific question. Both assessments are correct and refer to different points of reference.
Anyone who understands this distinction will read a service description differently. Not as a statement about which values are important, but as a statement about which values have a place in a particular program.
Three documented pieces of information
Three pieces of information from the reviewed sources. They provide context and are not a diagnosis.
Documented information
every 3 years
People are entitled to a general health check-up from the age of 35 (G-BA, effective 02/12/2021)
5 blood values
The guideline specifies: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose, along with a urine dipstick test (G-BA, effective 02/12/2021)
once
People are entitled to a general health check-up between the ages of 18 and the end of their 35th year (G-BA, effective 02/12/2021)
And as with every laboratory value, what matters is the reference range stated on your own report, because reference values may vary from one laboratory to another (IQWiG, as of 02/04/2025).
The core in one sentence
This is where the topic can be summed up.
The check-up addresses a population-health question. It does not answer other questions because it does not ask them.
This wording is deliberately neutral. It contains no judgment about the service, but describes its subject matter.
Anyone who is entitled to it should make use of it. And anyone who has another question beyond that should know that it will not be answered there.
This order matters to us. First, the service to which one is entitled, and only afterward the question of whether anything else remains outstanding. Reversing the order would be poor advice.
The age thresholds in detail
The age regulation is two-tiered and is often presented in abbreviated form.
The guideline states: Insured persons are entitled to one general health check-up from their 18th birthday until the end of their 35th year. From their 35th birthday, insured persons are entitled to a check-up every three years (effective 02/12/2021).
The second difference concerns the scope. For the younger group, blood tests are linked to an appropriate risk profile, and a urine test is not provided for that group.
This leads to practical guidance for people under 35: the one-time entitlement exists, and whether blood tests are included depends on the risk profile. The medical practice can clarify this.
Why the threshold is 35
The number 35 may seem arbitrary, but it follows the same logic as the scope of services.
A population-wide program begins where it provides the greatest benefit to the population. This applies not only to the selection of values, but also to the selection of the age group and the interval between examinations.
That is why the guideline provides for a phased arrangement: once between the ages of 18 and the end of the 35th year of life, and every three years thereafter (G-BA, effective February 12, 2021). For the younger group, blood tests are also linked to an appropriate risk profile.
For an individual, this says nothing about their personal risk. It means that from this age threshold onward, there is a regular entitlement, whereas before it was a one-time entitlement.
So someone who has a question at 32 and has already used their one-time entitlement is in a different position from someone who is 45. This question also belongs in a medical practice that knows the patient's history.
The scope of services in comparison
The table compares which question is answered by which service. It provides context and does not make a diagnosis.
| Question | Health checkup from age 35 | Nutrient panel from capillary blood | What the sources say about this |
|---|---|---|---|
| How is my cholesterol profile? | Included: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides | Also included | Both approaches provide the same four values (G-BA, effective February 12, 2021) |
| What is my fasting blood sugar? | Included | Not as a fasting value; it includes long-term blood sugar | HbA1c levels reflect glucose control over the past 3 months (MSD Manual, as of December 2025) |
| How are my iron levels? | Not covered by the guideline | Includes ferritin, iron, and transferrin | The MSD Manual lists a complete blood count, serum ferritin, and transferrin saturation for diagnosis (as of May 2025) |
| Do I have a disease of significant public health relevance? | That is exactly what it is for, including medical history and physical examination | Not intended for that | The purpose is set out in the General Section, Section 2(1) of the guideline (effective February 12, 2021) |
The last line is the most important. A nutrient panel is not designed to answer this question and therefore does not replace the examination.
The second line is also noteworthy. For blood sugar, the two approaches do not provide the same information: the guideline specifies fasting plasma glucose, a snapshot measured under defined conditions, whereas a nutrient panel provides a long-term value.
Both answer related questions across different time scales. A medical practice decides which one is appropriate in a particular situation.
Which questions remain unanswered
The scope of services shows which questions remain unanswered after the check-up.
Among other things, the guideline does not cover iron levels, vitamin B12, 25-OH vitamin D, thyroid values, or minerals. Anyone with a question about one of these values will not find the answer there.
This explicitly does not mean that these values should be measured in everyone. IQWiG notes that not all screening examinations improve health and that some may even be useless or harmful (as of September 30, 2009).
What this means is more specific: Anyone with a specific question about one of these values should raise it at a medical practice rather than wait for the check-up to answer it.
It is also worthwhile to know the difference between two situations. If you have symptoms, the examination is not the right setting—in that case, diagnostic evaluation is needed, and it proceeds independently of the schedule.
If you have no symptoms but still have an unanswered question, that is exactly the situation this article describes. It should also be discussed at a medical practice, and a documented finding can help prepare for that discussion.
Who may benefit from an addition
The comparison addresses whether additional values would contribute anything in your situation.
Useful for you if …
You are claiming your entitlement to the health check-up and also have a specific question.
You have changed your diet and want to document values that are not included there.
You want to bring dated figures to a consultation at the practice.
You are under 35, have already used your one-time entitlement, and want a baseline value.
Probably not if …
You want to use it to replace the check-up. That is not possible and is not its purpose.
You do not have a specific question, but simply want more lines on the report.
You are already undergoing diagnostic evaluation. In that case, the practice that began it should continue it.
You expect a diagnosis. That is provided by a medical practice, not a self-test.
What a capillary blood test can show here
A capillary blood self-test does not provide a diagnosis and does not replace the health check-up. What it can do is provide values not included in the check-up.
The VitalCheck by mybody®x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) includes the cholesterol profile also named in the guideline, plus additional values such as ferritin, vitamin B12, and 25-OH vitamin D3. It does not provide the medical history or physical examination included in the health check-up.
Capillary blood test
VitalCheck | Nutrient & Mineral Test Complete
Tests 18 values from the same sample, including total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, long-term blood sugar, ferritin, iron, transferrin, 25-OH vitamin D3, vitamin B12, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, albumin, selenium, zinc, and CRP. What the test does not provide: It does not replace the health check-up, and includes no fasting plasma glucose, urine dipstick test, medical history, or physical examination. It does not provide a diagnosis.
Laboratory results available 3–5 business days after sample receipt
Product page information, accessed 19/08/2026
Chapter at a glance
A capillary blood test can provide values not included in the health check-up. It does not replace it: the medical history, physical examination, fasting plasma glucose, and urine dipstick test are not included. Eligibility for the examination exists independently of this.
Boundaries: what an addition still leaves open
The first boundary is replacement. A nutrient panel does not cover the purpose of the guideline and does not replace the examination.
The second boundary is the benefit of additional values. The IQWiG states: Not all screening examinations improve health. They may also be useless or even harmful (as of 30/09/2009).
The third boundary is interpretation. A single laboratory value is always just one component of an overall diagnosis (IQWiG, as of 02/04/2025), and the reservations from our individual articles apply to every value.
The fourth boundary is diagnosis. All the classifications in this article provide context and do not constitute a diagnosis. A diagnosis is made in a medical practice based on several components, and no self-test anticipates it.
What matters in a check-up
If you take away just one thing from this article, let it be this: The scope of the health check-up follows from its purpose.
This purpose is set out in the general section of the guideline: identifying and assessing health risks and burdens and detecting diseases of significant importance to population health at an early stage (G-BA, effective 02/12/2021). This purpose determines the inclusion of the lipid profile, fasting plasma glucose, and the urine dipstick test.
Anyone who is entitled to the check-up should use it: once between 18 and 35, and every three years thereafter. Anyone with a specific question about another value should raise it at a medical practice rather than waiting for the check-up to answer it.
Frequently asked questions
Which blood values are included in the check-up from age 35?
For insured persons aged 35 and over, the health check-up guideline specifies a lipid profile—total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides—as well as fasting plasma glucose. It also includes a urine dipstick test for protein, glucose, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and nitrite, plus one-time screening for hepatitis B and C (G-BA, effective 02/12/2021).
How often am I entitled to it?
The guideline states: Insured persons are entitled to one general health check-up from their 18th birthday until the end of their 35th year. From their 35th birthday, insured persons are entitled to a check-up every three years (effective 02/12/2021).
Why aren't more values included?
The purpose is set out in the general section of the guideline: identifying and assessing health risks and burdens and detecting diseases of significant importance to population health at an early stage (effective 02/12/2021). The examination is designed to address this question, not to provide an individual nutrient profile.
Are iron, vitamin D, or B12 included?
According to the guideline, they are not part of the health check-up. Anyone with a specific question about one of these values should raise it at a medical practice. IQWiG also points out that not all screening examinations improve health (as of 09/30/2009).
Can a self-test replace the check-up?
No. In addition to laboratory values, the health check-up includes a medical history and physical examination, and it serves a different purpose. A self-test can provide values that are not included in the check-up, but it replaces neither the examination nor eligibility for it.
Next step
Ask a different question
VitalCheck measures 18 values from capillary blood, including several that are not part of the health check-up. It does not replace the check-up, provide a diagnosis, or replace medical evaluation. Eligibility for the examination is unaffected.
Go to VitalCheckRead more
You might also be interested in
What a self-test provides and what it does not.
The only regulated interval and what follows from it.
Sources
- Federal Joint Committee (G-BA): Guideline on Health Examinations for the Early Detection of Diseases, effective February 12, 2021 – g-ba.de
- National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV): Health Check-Up, Overview of the Scope of Services Covered by the Health Examination, accessed August 19, 2026 – kbv.de
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): Screening Examinations Are Not Always Useful, press release, as of September 30, 2009 – iqwig.de
- IQWiG: Understanding Laboratory Values Correctly, as of April 2, 2025 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- MSD Manual, Professional Edition: Diabetes Mellitus, Brutsaert EF (as of December 2025) – msdmanuals.com
- MSD Manual, Professional Edition: Iron Deficiency, Johnson LE (fully reviewed May 2025) – msdmanuals.com
The verbatim quotation concerning the purpose of the examination, the information on age limits and intervals, the list of blood and urine tests, and the reference to hepatitis screening are taken from source [1]. The breakdown of the lipid profile and the reference to the risk profile for people under 35 come from [2]. The statements on the benefits of screening examinations come from [3]. The sentence about being a component of an overall diagnosis and the explanation of the reference range come from [4]. The information about the three-month period for HbA1c comes from [5]. The three tests mentioned for iron diagnostics come from [6]. Information on price, values, sample type, and laboratory comes from mybody®x’s product page, accessed on August 19, 2026; processing times follow the central guideline for blood tests. All sources were accessed and reviewed on August 19, 2026.
mybody®x Editorial & Expert Team
Laboratory diagnostics Blood analysis interpretation Nutritional science Nutrigenetics
This article was created by the mybody®x editorial and expert team. The team combines laboratory diagnostics, nutritional science, and the interpretation of blood analyses. Anyone who contributed to it is listed on the authors page.
Published on August 19, 2026 · Last updated on August 19, 2026
The content is for general information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory, method, and age—what always matters is the information on your test report.
Share now:
The second blood test answers what the first one shows.
From age thirty onward, it’s worth looking at different values.