Health screening by age: A doctor’s guide to early detection in the UAE
A guide to key health checks by age in the UAE.
Preventive healthcare identifies potential health problems before symptoms appear. Regular health screening in the UAE can help detect diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers earlier, when they may be easier to manage.
Dr. Ahmed Mounir Sorour, Bupa Global, Clinical Specialist Advisor says early detection is important for conditions that can develop without signs: “If you have family history of hypertension, diabetes, abnormal lipid profile, particularly among first-degree relatives, you may have a higher risk of developing any of these which can lead to heart diseases. Being proactive about screening can help identify these conditions earlier.”
Dr. Sorour says screening is not something you pass and more of it is not automatically better. “The all-over annual check-up has been studied for over 251,891 people and it doesn’t improve survival1 ,” he explains. “What does work is a number of specific tests at specific ages, and in the UAE, those ages are set out clearly by the health authorities and are often earlier than people expect.”
For anyone wondering what health screening is or what does health screening consist of, preventive health screening can include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and other tests based on your age, gender, lifestyle, family history and individual risk factors. Early detection can improve treatment options and outcomes by identifying disease before it progresses or causes complications.
Health screening in your 20s and 30s: Build your health baseline
In Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Periodic Health Screening Guideline recommends periodic health screening for adults aged 18 and above. The guideline includes assessment of factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and cardiovascular risk, with screening generally undertaken every three years and frequency adjusted according to individual risk factors2. Two findings in that list deserve attention now rather than later.
The first is blood pressure. In the UAE’s national health survey, 28.8% of adults had raised blood pressure and 72.5% were not being treated for it3. “High blood pressure causes no symptoms at all until it causes something serious. Yet checking it takes only minutes and costs almost nothing, making it one of the simplest and most valuable health checks you can do,” says Dr. Sorour.
The second is diabetes. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Periodic Health Screening Guideline recommends annual diabetes screening from age 30, with earlier screening considered for individuals with relevant risk factors4. That is significantly earlier than most Western countries recommend, and it reflects the local picture: Dubai’s household survey found 13.7% of adults with diabetes and a further 16.2% with prediabetes.
As Dr. Sorour explains: “The early 30s is when I want to be looking at metabolic health; blood sugar and cholesterol especially. Not because something is likely to be wrong but this is the decade where doing something about it changes the next thirty years.
Family medical history can also influence when and how often you should be screened. “If you have a family history of disease, you should be more proactive about screening. For certain cancers, including breast or colorectal cancer, screening may need to start earlier and be repeated at recommended intervals,” Dr. Sorour explains.
Dubai’s guidance also includes two tests that are not routinely recommended in most other countries: a vitamin D check at the first visit and depression screening (PHQ-9) for every adult from 185. Neither is part of routine screening in the UK or the US.
Dr. Sorour says: “The UAE highlights screening for vitamin D deficiency, particularly due to a lack of sun exposure, as deficiency can increase the risk of musculoskeletal symptoms and fractures.”
Make prevention a priority
For adults in their 40s, preventive screening should become an established part of looking after your health, with a greater focus on cardiovascular risk alongside age, lifestyle and individual risk factors.
For women, mammography starts at age 40 and is recommended every two years, with DHA guidance and the Abu Dhabi standard in agreement. In Abu Dhabi, women aged 20–39 are also offered a clinical breast examination every three years, with a formal risk assessment from age 35.
Bowel cancer screening also starts at 40 and continues to age 75. The options are a stool test (FIT) every two years or a colonoscopy every ten years. Abu Dhabi’s programme now also offers a blood-based test as an option.
“Colorectal cancer is one example where early detection can make it much easier to avoid late complications, including metastases,” says Dr. Sorour. For people searching for how to prevent colon cancer, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may help reduce risk, while recommended screening can identify precancerous changes.
Understanding what is a heart health check can be useful at this stage. Rather than a single test, it typically involves reviewing blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, weight, lifestyle and family history to assess your overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
In your 50s, 60s and beyond: Stay ahead of age-related conditions
From age 50 and beyond, the screenings that began in your 40s continue, with additional checks introduced as you get older. These include bone density screening from age 65 and, depending on where you live and your smoking history, lung cancer screening.
In the UAE, national guidance introduced in 2025 recommends lung cancer screening for eligible adults aged 50–80, while Abu Dhabi offers annual low-dose CT scans for higher-risk adults aged 55–75. Later-life preventive care may also include checks for bone health, vision and hearing, with Abu Dhabi’s programme adding screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.
When considering how to prevent cancer, avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and taking part in appropriate screening programmes can help reduce risk.
Risk factors, warning signs and preventative measures
Smoking, diet, physical activity, sleep and family medical history can influence future health risks and which tests a doctor recommends.
This is also a useful time to discuss your family medical history with your doctor. “If you have a family history of metabolic disease, you should be more proactive about screening because you have a higher risk than someone without the same history,” he explains.
The same principle applies to cancer. “If you have a family history of certain cancers, including breast or colorectal cancer, screening may need to start earlier and be repeated at recommended intervals,” Dr. Sorour says.
Practical steps to stay on top of your health
As Dr. Sorour explains: “Overall, screening should follow the UAE’s guidance, starting with metabolic disorders in the early 30s and expand to appropriate cancer screening programmes in the 50s.”
Keep a record of your screening results and know your family medical history so you can discuss any potential risk factors with your doctor. Ask when your next screening is due, attend recommended follow-ups and review your screening needs as you get older.
1. https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD009009_general-health-checks-reducing-illness-and-mortality
2. https://dha.gov.ae/uploads/092024/Periodic%20Screening%20Guideline2024945854.pdf
3. cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd-surveillance/data-reporting/united-arab-emirates/uae-national-health-survey-report-2017-2018.pdf
4. https://dha.gov.ae/uploads/092024/Periodic%20Screening%20Guideline2024945854.pdf
5. https://dha.gov.ae/uploads/052024/Dubai%20Mental%20Health%20Screening%20Guidelines2024533931.pdf
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated comorbidities among Abu Dhabi Emirates population | BMC Research Notes | Springer Nature Link
