Clinic appointment
Advanced Well Man Check with Cholesterol
The men's annual panel: general chemistry, blood count, thyroid, blood sugar, iron and prostate markers, with the full cholesterol breakdown added.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- Fasting preferred
What’s included
35 markers measured
All items are shown below, grouped by area. You can collapse a group as you read.
Full blood count
Full blood count
Measures how many blood cells you have. It is a common blood test, used to look for blood problems such as iron deficiency anaemia.
Inflammation & clotting
ESR
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a blood marker of inflammation often requested alongside CRP. In someone with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica, a raised level supports the diagnosis, although the condition can still be diagnosed when inflammatory markers are normal.
Kidney & salt balance
Sodium
One of the body's electrolytes, the salts and minerals in the blood that help carry electrical signals. It is checked in an electrolyte test to look for an imbalance, for example in people taking diuretics or ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure.
Potassium
A mineral held mostly inside the body's cells. Small shifts in its level affect how muscles contract, including the heart, and it is vital for the heart's electrical signals and for fluid balance. The kidneys are the main route by which the body gets rid of potassium.
Chloride
One of the electrolytes, the salts and minerals in the blood (along with sodium, potassium and bicarbonate) that help conduct electrical impulses in the body. It is measured in an electrolyte panel, which can show whether salts, or acid and base, are out of balance.
Bicarbonate
Part of the system that keeps your blood from becoming too acidic or too alkaline. Read alongside the other salts rather than on its own.
Urea
Urea is checked together with sodium, potassium and creatinine to assess how well the kidneys are working and the body's fluid balance.
Creatinine
A waste product measured in the blood as the main test for kidney disease. Combined with age and sex, it is used to work out eGFR, an estimate of how much the kidneys can filter each minute. A lower eGFR can point to chronic kidney disease.
eGFR
eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is an estimate of how well your kidneys filter waste from the blood. It is calculated from the level of creatinine, a waste product, in your blood, together with your age and sex. A lower rate can be a sign of chronic kidney disease.
Liver
Bilirubin
A breakdown product of haem from red blood cells, which the liver processes so it can be passed out in bile. A raised level can come from extra red blood cell breakdown, liver disease or a blocked bile duct, and can lead to jaundice.
Alkaline phosphatase
Alkaline phosphatase, one of the standard liver function tests. A raised level, especially with a raised GGT, suggests a problem with bile flow (cholestasis), such as a blocked bile duct. Bone disease and low vitamin D can also raise it.
AST
Aspartate transaminase, a liver test read together with ALT. A pattern where AST and ALT are the main raised liver tests points to liver cell damage, for example from viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcohol or medicines. The balance between AST and ALT gives clues to the cause.
ALT
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is one of the standard liver blood tests. A raised level mainly points to injury to liver cells, which can be caused by viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcohol, autoimmune hepatitis or some medicines. Its pattern alongside the other liver tests helps show the likely type of liver problem.
Gamma GT
A liver enzyme that is more sensitive than ALT or AST to alcohol, some medicines and fatty change in the liver.
Total protein
Measures the total amount of protein in the blood. A low level can point to a liver or kidney problem, or to protein not being digested or absorbed well; a high level can reflect dehydration or a cancer such as multiple myeloma. Further tests show which proteins are out of range.
Albumin
The main protein your liver makes. It is a useful marker of the liver's longer-term output.
Globulin
Serum globulins, a group of blood proteins. Levels can rise in long-term liver inflammation (chronic hepatitis) and in cirrhosis.
Bone & minerals
Calcium
A mineral that helps build bones and keep teeth healthy, controls how muscles contract (including the heartbeat) and helps blood to clot normally.
Phosphate
Measures phosphate, a chemical containing the mineral phosphorus. The body needs it to make energy, for muscles and nerves to work, and for bones to grow. It is checked in malnutrition, diabetic ketoacidosis and digestive conditions that affect absorption, and is monitored closely in chronic kidney disease.
Uric acid
A raised uric acid level (hyperuricaemia) is the most important risk factor for gout, where urate crystals form in and around joints. Levels are more likely to be high with kidney disease, some medicines such as diuretics, excess weight, and a diet high in alcohol, sugary drinks, meat or seafood.
Magnesium
A mineral involved in muscle and nerve function and in releasing energy from food.
Diabetes
Glucose
Measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood when the sample is taken. It may be done after not eating for a few hours (a fasting test) or at other times, and the result is judged differently depending on when you last ate. A high level is mainly seen in diabetes.
HbA1c
Reflects blood glucose control over roughly the previous 8 to 12 weeks, without the need to fast. It is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, but can be misleading in pregnancy, soon after symptoms start, and in people with abnormal haemoglobin, such as sickle cell trait, or altered red blood cell turnover.
Cholesterol
Triglycerides
A type of blood fat measured in a standard lipid profile, which does not usually need a fasting sample. A high level is one form of lipid imbalance and is a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in its own right.
Total cholesterol
The total amount of cholesterol carried in your blood. The result can be split into HDL (good) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, and doctors use it with things like age and blood pressure to estimate the risk of heart and circulation problems.
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is part of a standard cholesterol (lipid) profile. It works against the build-up of fatty plaque in artery walls, so higher levels are linked with a lower risk of heart and circulation disease. A low HDL level is one form of unhealthy blood fat balance (dyslipidaemia).
LDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is usually calculated from the other results in a standard cholesterol profile. It plays a major part in fatty plaque building up in artery walls, so a raised level increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. It has long been the main target of cholesterol-lowering treatment.
Non-HDL cholesterol
All the cholesterol types that raise heart risk added together in one number. NICE uses it to set cholesterol treatment goals.
Iron studies
Iron
The amount of iron in your blood. Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) reflects the blood's ability to bind and carry iron, and relates to the amount of transferrin, a protein made by the liver. In iron deficiency anaemia, iron is low and TIBC high. With too much iron, as in haemochromatosis, iron is high and TIBC low or normal.
Ferritin
Your stored iron, the reserve tank. Stores usually fall first, so ferritin can show low iron while the blood count still looks normal. Inflammation can push it up, which is why ESR or CRP is useful alongside.
Hormones
Free T4
Free thyroxine (FT4), one of the main thyroid hormones. It is read alongside TSH, the pituitary hormone that controls thyroid hormone production: a low TSH with a raised T3 or T4 usually points to an overactive thyroid. What counts as normal varies with age and laboratory method.
TSH
Thyroid-stimulating hormone, released by the pituitary gland to prompt the thyroid to make T4 and T3. Thyroid hormone levels feed back to control it, so a TSH above the normal range points to an underactive thyroid, especially when free T4 is low.
Prostate
PSA (total)
Prostate specific antigen (PSA), a blood test used to look for prostate problems, including prostate cancer and prostate enlargement. A raised level does not necessarily mean cancer: an enlarged prostate, a urine infection, and recent ejaculation, exercise or cycling can all affect the result.
Free PSA
The unbound proportion of PSA. Combined with total PSA it helps a doctor judge whether a raised result needs looking into further.
Free-to-total PSA ratio
The proportion of your PSA that is unbound, calculated from the free and total results. It gives a doctor context that a single total PSA figure does not.
Overview
The men's version of the Advanced Well Person Check with Cholesterol: the same kidney, liver, bone, blood sugar, thyroid, iron and full cholesterol picture, with total and free PSA in place of vitamin D. It suits men who want one yearly appointment covering general health and the prostate together, particularly from around 50, or from 45 if your risk is higher, when PSA is usually first discussed.
A complete annual baseline for men, including the HDL, LDL and non-HDL numbers used when discussing heart and circulation health.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Men aged 18 and over
- Men over 40 wanting a yearly baseline with cholesterol breakdown and both PSA measures
- Anyone with a family history of heart disease or prostate cancer
Who it isn’t for
- PSA is a marker, not an answer: it goes up for benign reasons including an enlarged prostate, infection, recent cycling and recent ejaculation, and some prostate cancers that matter do not raise it. If prostate symptoms are your main reason for testing, speak to your GP as well, not instead. This panel does not include testosterone or the other male hormones, which are in the Male Hormone Check.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- Wanting one annual panel covering general health and prostate
- Being over 50, or over 45 with a family history of prostate cancer
- Tiredness, weight change or low energy with no obvious cause
- A family history of diabetes or heart problems
- Following a previous PSA result over time
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Haemoglobin▼ Low
- Result
- 108 g/L
- Range
- 120–150 / 130–170
- ESRIn range
- Result
- 8 mm/hr
- Range
- <20
- SodiumIn range
- Result
- 140 mmol/L
- Range
- 133–146
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin | 108 | g/L | 120–150 / 130–170 | ▼ Low |
| ESR | 8 | mm/hr | <20 | In range |
| Sodium | 140 | mmol/L | 133–146 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Haemoglobin is a little below the range and the red cells are on the small side, which most often points to low iron. I would check ferritin next; this is common and usually straightforward to put right.
…and 32 more markers. Ranges shown as women / men. Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Fasting preferred
- Who it's for
- Men · ages 18+
How to prepare
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Should I do anything before a PSA test?
UK practice is to avoid ejaculation and vigorous exercise, including cycling, for 48 hours beforehand, and to delay the test if you have had a urine infection in the last six weeks. All three can raise the result for reasons that have nothing to do with cancer.
What happens if my PSA is above the range?
The report says so and the reviewing doctor explains what the number means for your age. The usual next step is a conversation with your GP, who can examine you and decide whether anything further is needed. A raised PSA on its own is common and most often has a benign explanation.
Does this include testosterone?
No. Testosterone, SHBG and the free androgen index are in the Male Hormone Check, which is a separate panel.
Does biotin affect the result?
It can. High-dose biotin (vitamin B7), often sold for hair, skin and nails, can make some hormone results read too high or too low. Laboratory advice is usually to leave at least 8 hours after a dose of 5 mg or more, and some advise longer, so the simplest approach is to skip it on the day of your sample. Tell us if you take it, and do not stop a medicine that a doctor has prescribed.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
Do I need to fast?
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
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