*A complete blood count (CBC) and a clinical blood count (CBC) are different terms for the same test.
If you are healthy and have no symptoms, no. International guidelines do not recommend having a complete blood count every year “just to check.”
Why is a complete blood count “for prevention” not useful?
1. It rarely detects diseases in healthy people.
Studies have shown that annual blood tests “just in case” do not help people live longer and do not reduce the risk of serious diseases.
2. A normal blood test does not mean “I am healthy.”
It does not detect most diseases: heart problems, diabetes, or most types of cancer. In the case of vitamin or iron deficiency, a complete blood count often remains unchanged until the deficiency becomes severe.
3. An “abnormal” result may cause unnecessary anxiety.
The reference range in a laboratory report is designed so that some healthy people will have results outside the range. A CBC includes more than 20 parameters, so it is very common for at least one of them to be slightly outside the reference range. The result: anxiety, repeat tests, and unnecessary investigations.
Who needs a complete blood count?
A complete blood count evaluates important parameters such as hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, absolute values of the white blood cell differential, as well as ESR.
A CBC is most often recommended:
- during an infection, to assess white blood cells,
- in cases of bleeding, including heavy menstrual bleeding;
- during pregnancy;
- in chronic diseases (kidney disease, intestinal diseases, and others);
- when taking medications that affect the blood;
- to monitor already diagnosed anemia or another blood disorder;
- before certain surgical procedures.
This is only a small list of symptoms and conditions in which a CBC may be recommended. In these and other situations, your doctor can help determine how often the test should be performed and whether you need it at all.
What should actually be checked regularly?
Instead of “testing for everything,” it is better and more cost-effective to see a doctor. They can choose the appropriate tests based on your age and individual risk factors.
Screening should focus on conditions that most often threaten life at your age.
Mortality statistics:
- Young people (approximately up to 40–45 years): road accidents, injuries, suicide, and violence. Blood tests will not help prevent these. Seat belts, helmets, avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, and timely help for depression can help.
- People over 40–45 years: cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke) become the leading causes, followed by cancer, lung diseases, and infections, such as pneumonia.
Therefore, the main focus of routine health checks should be the heart, blood vessels, and cancer screening.
Cardiovascular health checks:
- Blood pressure at rest. Once a year after age 40 and in the presence of risk factors. Before age 40, if blood pressure is normal, it can be checked every 3–5 years.
- Lipid profile (cholesterol and its fractions) is recommended every 3–5 years starting at age 20. If risk factors are present, the frequency of screening should be reassessed.
- Fasting blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin. Every 3 years starting at age 35. In people who are overweight or have associated conditions, such as PCOS, screening should start earlier and be performed more frequently.
- Lipoprotein(a) once in a lifetime. Its level is largely determined by genetics. If it is high, the risk of heart attack and stroke is higher, which may change the frequency of the screening tests listed above.
Cancer screening
Which tests are needed depends on age and sex. Read more about this in our separate article: [link]