Full body checkup for men in Dubai: what's included and who needs it

Emil Aldyrakov — GP, urologist-andrologist

Full body doesn't mean "test everything"

People mean different things by a full body checkup. Some expect a hundred blood tests, a whole-body MRI and tumor markers. But every extra test without a clinical question is a chance for an incidental finding, more scans and worry that changes nothing. The US National Cancer Institute states plainly that blood tumor markers do not work well for screening: they miss some disease and are not specific enough.

A good checkup answers two questions. Do you have silent problems that are better caught early: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver, kidneys, thyroid? And which screenings are due at your age?

What the Dubai numbers show

According to the Dubai Household Survey 2019, cited in the DHA periodic health screening guideline, 13.7% of adults surveyed in Dubai had diabetes, 16.2% had prediabetes, 62.1% were overweight or obese (BMI 25 or higher) and 32.5% had high blood pressure. All four can go without symptoms for years.

Vitamin D deserves a word of its own. The UAE gets plenty of sun, but in summer people hide from it and spend most of the day indoors. In a study of 12,346 Emiratis in Abu Dhabi, 72% were vitamin D deficient (below 50 nmol/L). That is why DHA advises measuring vitamin D at your first preventive visit, so you know your baseline.

What to check at 25–39

• Blood pressure for all adults from 18 (USPSTF).
• Blood sugar or HbA1c: under the DHA guideline, from 18 every 3 years, or yearly with risk factors; from 30 it can be checked every year. An HbA1c of 5.7–6.4% means prediabetes.
• Cholesterol: the American Heart Association (AHA) advises testing from age 20, every 4–6 years if your risk is low.
• Lipoprotein(a) once in a lifetime (ESC/EAS, 2019): it is set by your genes and barely changes. Lipoprotein A, serum: AED 125.
• Hepatitis C once for everyone aged 18–79, and HIV for ages 15–65 (USPSTF).
• Vitamin D: a baseline level at your first checkup (DHA).

What's added at 40–49

• Colorectal cancer screening. In Dubai it is recommended from 40 to 75: a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every two years or a colonoscopy every 10 years (DHA, 2024). You can do the FIT with us for AED 250. In the US, the USPSTF starts at 45. Colonoscopy is performed at partner hospitals with Elena Kasimtseva, GP, gastroenterologist, Medical Director of GMS Clinic at GMS, present; the GMS medical concierge handles the booking and paperwork.
• Cardiovascular risk. Between 40 and 75 your doctor estimates your 10-year risk; at 10% or higher with at least one risk factor, the USPSTF recommends discussing a statin.
• PSA. Under the AUA/SUO guideline, a baseline PSA is offered at 45–50 for average risk and at 40–45 for higher risk (family history, certain mutations, African ancestry). It is a shared decision with your urologist; more in Checkup after 40.

After 50

• Colorectal screening and checks of blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids continue.
• Your urologist sets the interval for repeat PSA testing based on your PSA level and risk. The USPSTF treats screening at 55–69 as an individual decision.
• If you smoke or quit within the past 15 years, are 50–80 and have a 20 pack-year history: a yearly low-dose lung CT (USPSTF). The GMS medical concierge arranges it at a partner hospital.
• Men aged 65–75 who have ever smoked: a one-time abdominal aorta ultrasound (USPSTF). Abdominal aorta duplex: AED 900.
• From 65, a bone density scan every 3 years, and at 50–64 if you have risk factors (DHA); the concierge arranges this too.

What our men's programs include

We offer two programs. Both are built around two GP consultations: at the first, the doctor takes your history and clarifies your risks; at the second, extended one, you go through every result together. All examinations take no more than six hours and fit into one or two days; blood samples are taken at the clinic.

Men’s Health Check-up Optimum, AED 9,100. Cardiologist and urologist consultations. ECG and echocardiogram. Ultrasound of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, the abdomen and retroperitoneum, the kidneys and bladder, plus a transrectal prostate ultrasound. Blood and urine tests: complete blood count, glucose and HbA1c, total cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides, creatinine, uric acid, protein and albumin, electrolytes, liver enzymes and bilirubin, ferritin, vitamins D and B12, folic acid, calcium, TSH, C-reactive protein, urinalysis, total and free PSA, total testosterone, hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

Men’s Health Check-up Premium, AED 11,200. Everything above plus neurologist, dermatologist and gastroenterologist consultations. It is a good fit if you also want your moles checked after years under the local sun, or want to talk to a gastroenterologist about which colorectal screening option suits you.

At the end you receive a detailed report in English and Russian that explains every result and gives recommendations. If the results call for more tests, they are done here; hospital-based tests are arranged by the concierge. All programs, including the women's checkups, are on the checkups page.

Which program is right for you

If you have no symptoms and are under 40, the basic checks listed above are often enough, and you can do them without a program after a doctor's consultation. A program makes sense when you want everything done in one or two days with one summary conversation. Premium suits you if you have not seen a doctor in a long time or have questions for several specialists at once. If something specific is bothering you urologically, start with a urologist visit.

You can book a checkup through the form on the site or on WhatsApp.

Sources

• DHA. Dubai Periodic Health Screening Guideline (2024)
• Al Zarooni A. et al. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the Abu Dhabi Emirati population. BMC Research Notes (2019)
• USPSTF. A and B Recommendations
• USPSTF. Prostate Cancer: Screening (2018)
• AUA/SUO. Early Detection of Prostate Cancer Guideline (2023, amended 2026)
• American Heart Association. How to Get Your Cholesterol Tested
• ESC/EAS. Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias (2019)
• National Cancer Institute. Tumor Markers (fact sheet)

FAQ

What does the men's full body checkup at GMS include?

GP, cardiologist and urologist consultations, an ECG and echocardiogram, ultrasound of the thyroid, abdomen, kidneys and prostate, plus blood work: glucose and HbA1c, lipids, liver and kidney function, vitamin D, B12, ferritin, TSH, PSA, testosterone, hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Men’s Health Check-up Optimum is AED 9,100, and the Men’s Health Check-up Premium is AED 11,200.

At what age should a man start having checkups?

The basics, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, start at 18–20. The DHA guideline advises checking blood sugar or HbA1c from 18 every 3 years, or yearly with risk factors. After 40, colorectal screening and a conversation about PSA are added.

When does colorectal cancer screening start in Dubai?

The 2024 DHA guideline recommends it for men and women aged 40–75: a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every two years or a colonoscopy every 10 years. Colonoscopy is performed at partner hospitals with Elena Kasimtseva, GP, gastroenterologist, Medical Director of GMS Clinic at GMS, present.

Why not just run every test?

Every extra test without a clinical question behind it is a chance for an incidental finding, more scans and needless worry. For example, the US National Cancer Institute notes that blood tumor markers do not work well for screening. Tests are chosen by age, risks and symptoms.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

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