Prevention & healthy ageing
A thoughtful health review in midlife begins with your history and priorities. It is an opportunity to consider personal risks, review previous screening and agree useful actions. Its value comes from the decisions it supports, rather than the length of a test menu.
Decide what you want the review to achieve
Perhaps you feel well but want to understand your longer-term health. Perhaps a parent developed heart disease, your routine has changed, or you have received several reports without a clear plan. Tell the doctor which of these concerns matters most. If you have new symptoms, make them explicit: investigating a symptom is different from screening someone who feels well.
For internationally mobile patients, another useful aim is to bring together care received in different countries. A review can establish which assessments have already happened and which questions you want to discuss next.
Understand cardiovascular risk in context
Blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking history, diabetes and other personal factors can contribute to a discussion about cardiovascular risk. NICE recommends explaining risk and the potential benefits and harms of interventions, allowing time for questions and recording the person's decision. A risk estimate informs a conversation; it should not be presented as a prediction of exactly what will happen to an individual. Read NICE guidance on cardiovascular risk assessment.
Ask what the findings mean for you, which changes would make the greatest practical difference and how progress would be reviewed. A recommendation is easier to act on when its purpose is clear.
Review screening history before arranging more tests
Bring the dates and outcomes of previous screening and any invitations or follow-up recommendations. Tell the doctor where you usually receive care. Age, relevant anatomy, personal history, family history and the recommendations used in your country of care may affect what is appropriate.
Ask which screening is relevant, what it can and cannot detect, and what would happen after an abnormal finding. More testing is not automatically more reassurance. A responsible discussion includes the possibility of misleading results and further investigations, as well as potential benefit.
The NHS Health Check information illustrates the role of a structured review of cardiovascular risk factors. That is a UK programme with its own eligibility rules; it is not a description of an automatic package or entitlement at Galatzó Health.
Make room for everyday health
Use the appointment to discuss sleep, physical activity, nutrition, alcohol, smoking, emotional wellbeing and any change in how you feel. These conversations deserve the same attention as laboratory numbers. Your circumstances may make one realistic change more useful to discuss than an ambitious list that does not fit your life.
Bring a complete medicine and supplement list. If you use products marketed for healthy ageing, ask which claims are supported, which risks matter to you and whether they affect investigations or other treatment. Do not assume that a treatment is necessary simply because it is described as preventive.
Leave with a plan you can use
- What are my main priorities after this review?
- Which findings need action, and which can be monitored?
- What is the purpose of each recommended test or treatment?
- When should I review the plan, and with whom?
- What should I share with my usual doctor?
If your time in Mallorca is limited, discuss the timetable before arranging investigations. Clarify consultation fees, possible additional costs and how results will be explained. An appointment request should lead to clear arrangements, rather than an assumption about which services are included.
Questions patients often ask
Do I need a complete body scan or an extensive blood panel?
There is no universal answer based on age alone. Ask which clinical question a proposed investigation addresses and whether it is appropriate for your history and risk.
Can I arrange a review even if I feel well?
You can contact the team to discuss your preventive health priorities. Explain that you are seeking a planned review, and mention any symptoms separately.
A personal approach to prevention in Mallorca
Dr. Indhira Ghyssaert provides individual medical consultations at Galatzó Health for residents and international patients. Explore the approach to prevention and healthy ageing or contact the team to discuss an appointment.
Galatzó Health Medical Journal · Published 1 November 2026. General information, not a personalised screening recommendation.
