Why you shouldn’t wait for symptoms: The Importance of Proactive Care

JAN JERSON L. TAM, MD

Why is health screening is important?

Many serious illnesses do not begin with pain or obvious warning signs. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and high cholesterol often develop quietly over many years. Most people feel “fine” while these diseases slowly progress in the background. Unfortunately, by the time clear symptoms appear, significant and sometimes irreversible damage may have already occurred.

Doctors often focus on diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and high cholesterol because these conditions are among the most common lifestyle-related diseases today—and they frequently occur together. Modern lifestyles that involve prolonged sitting, high intake of processed food, excess sugar, and stress make these illnesses increasingly common, even among younger adults.

1. Diabetes

Diabetes develops when blood sugar levels remain high over a long period of time. In its early stages, diabetes often causes no symptoms or only vague ones such as fatigue, dizziness, or feeling tired most days. These signs are easily blamed on work stress or lack of sleep. However, uncontrolled blood sugar can silently damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Common screening tests for diabetes include:
  • Fasting blood sugar
  • HbA1c
  • Random blood sugar
  • Oral glucose tolerance tests

2. Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called the “silent killer” because it usually causes no symptoms until a major event occurs. The heart works continuously from before birth and is designed to pump blood under normal pressure. When blood pressure stays high, the heart is forced to work harder every second of the day. Over time, this leads to heart enlargement, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.

Common Screening:

  • Regular blood pressure monitoring, ideally with repeat readings
  • 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

3. Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is another condition that progresses quietly. The kidneys filter waste products, excess fluids, and toxins from the body. Early kidney damage rarely causes noticeable symptoms and is often discovered only through routine laboratory tests. When symptoms such as confusion, fatigue, swelling, or decreased urine output appear, the disease is usually advanced. Late-stage kidney failure may require dialysis or a kidney transplant, both of which significantly affect quality of life and finances.

Screening tests include:

  • Blood urea nitrogen
  • Serum creatinine
  • Urinalysis
  • Urine albumin-creatinine ratio

4. Dyslipidemia

High cholesterol, also known as dyslipidemia, is one of the most common silent conditions today and affects even young adults. It refers to abnormal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, often caused by diets high in fatty, sugary, and processed foods. Elevated cholesterol leads to plaque buildup in blood vessels, causing clogged arteries that can result in heart attack and stroke. It also contributes to fatty liver disease. A simple lipid profile can reveal these abnormalities long before complications occur.

Screening tests include:

  • Lipid Profile
  • SGPT

 

In summary, lifestyle diseases are often silent, but their complications are not. Laboratory abnormalities can appear years before serious events such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, or vision loss. Detecting problems early allows for lifestyle changes, close monitoring, and sometimes temporary medication—rather than lifelong treatment or invasive procedures. Health screening is not about fear; it is about taking control of your health while you still can.

Who should get screened?

You should consider screening if you:

  • Are 30 years old and above
  • Have a family history of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or kidney disease
  • Are overweight or obese
  • Have a sedentary lifestyle
  • Smoke or drink alcohol regularly
  • Already have one lifestyle disease (others may follow)

 

Even if you feel “okay,” screening is still important. Your health is worth checking—even before symptoms appear.

Take control of your health today!

👉 Get your FREE screening lab request today.
👉 Book an online consultation.

 

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