{"id":39011,"date":"2026-01-05T06:25:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=39011"},"modified":"2026-01-05T14:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T14:26:40","slug":"your-annual-checkup-is-calling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\/","title":{"rendered":"Your annual checkup is calling","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the start of a new year. For some people, that means making a list of goals for the year. Others may be picking up a new hobby or stopping old habits.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s one thing that should be on everyone&#8217;s New Year&#8217;s to-do list \u2014 scheduling your annual physical exam.<\/p>\n<h2>Why are annual exams important?<\/h2>\n<p>Routine wellness exams and screenings are your first line of defense against illness or developing a more serious condition.<\/p>\n<p>From checking that children are growing as they should, to keeping adults up-to-date on age-related screenings, to ensuring older adults are given the tools to continue thriving, an annual physical offers a lot of valuable care and insight throughout your lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest benefits:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Catching health concerns early<\/strong> \u2014 rather than waiting for increased severity or treatment to become more challenging \u2014 with consistent blood panels, blood pressure monitoring and\/or regular mammograms.<\/li>\n<li>Preventing illness from keeping you bedridden by <strong>staying on top of yearly vaccinations<\/strong> like flu, COVID-19 boosters, shingles, Tdap and pneumonia.<\/li>\n<li>Better medication monitoring to ensure your dosage best matches your body&#8217;s current needs.<\/li>\n<li>Having the opportunity to <strong>address your emotional health<\/strong> and the role it may be playing in your physical health and overall well-being \u2014 whether getting a referral or just talking through concerns with your primary care provider.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reducing health care costs<\/strong> over time by staying on top of your health and avoiding expensive emergency room visits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Yes, even young people should get a checkup<\/h2>\n<p>Even if you&#8217;re young, active and feeling great, you shouldn&#8217;t skip your yearly checkup. Some chronic conditions that were thought to only pop up later in life are <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/4-health-conditions-you-arent-too-young-to-get\/\">on the rise in younger age groups<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>How well you take care of your health when you&#8217;re young is key to long-term well-being.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re between the ages of 20-40, don&#8217;t hesitate to ask your primary care provider about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/prediabetes-risk-factors-causes-prevention\/\">Prediabetes<\/a> \u2014 When blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not quite high enough to warrant a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.<\/li>\n<li>High cholesterol \u2014 When the fat produced in the liver, which supports several important body functions, becomes elevated and increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks or stroke.<\/li>\n<li>Obesity \u2014 A medical condition where excess body fat accumulates and may put you at risk for <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/cancer-care\/diagnosis-evaluation\/colorectal-cancer\/\">colorectal cancer<\/a>, metabolic syndrome, joint problems, Type 2 diabetes and gallbladder disease.<\/li>\n<li>High blood pressure \u2014 When the amount of force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries is consistently too high, it can lead to kidney damage and cardiovascular risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Don&#8217;t take the back seat in your health<\/h2>\n<p>From getting preventive care like vaccines to coming to your annual physical prepared, it&#8217;s up to you to <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-doctors-appointment\/\">take the lead<\/a> in your long-term health.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Come prepared \u2014 Write down any questions or concerns you may have, as well as any non-prescription medications or supplements you&#8217;ve added to your routine.<\/li>\n<li>Develop your <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/our-top-tips-for-understanding-health-information\/\">health literacy<\/a> \u2014 Learn how to locate trusted sources and use the information you find to make informed decisions about your health.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/patient-resources\/healthy-living\/\">Stay on schedule<\/a> \u2014 Ask your provider which vaccinations you&#8217;re due for and which screenings are right for you, then schedule them in advance so you stay on track.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Know your risk \u2014 Look at things like family history and lifestyle with free <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/patient-resources\/healthy-living\/health-risk-assessments\/\">health risk assessments<\/a> and discuss your results with your primary care provider.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the start of a new year. For some people, that means making a list of goals for the year. Others may be picking up a new hobby or stopping old habits. But there\u2019s one thing that should be on everyone&#8217;s New Year&#8217;s to-do list \u2014 scheduling your annual physical exam. Why are annual exams [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":115,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-primary-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Annual checkups: Your key to better health - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Start the year strong \u2014 schedule your annual physical exam. Catch issues early, take preventive measures and ask questions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stay healthy this year: Don\u2019t skip your annual checkup - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Start the year strong \u2014 schedule your annual physical exam. Catch issues early, take preventive measures and ask questions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T06:25:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T14:26:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/MHS_06-10-2025_CapitalMedicalCenter_9-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Samantha Malott\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Your annual checkup is calling - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@shannonwhitley\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Samantha Malott\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1237b5d541a93eafc81ff7120cc031ab\"},\"headline\":\"Your annual checkup is calling\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T06:25:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-05T14:26:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":566,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy Living\",\"Primary Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-annual-checkup-is-calling\\\/\",\"name\":\"Annual checkups: Your key to better health - MultiCare Vitals\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T06:25:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-05T14:26:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"Start the year strong \u2014 schedule your annual physical exam. 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