Free Preventive Health Check-ups and Cancer Screenings in Latvia

Eligibility and Scheduling for NHS Preventive Check-Ups

State-funded preventive health evaluations are designed for adults of specific ages to catch potential health risks early. According to the NHS, patients can secure a check-up by contacting their family doctor’s practice directly to arrange an appointment time. There is no patient fee associated with this visit. Individuals who have actively consulted their family doctor for an acute or chronic illness within the preceding 12 months do not qualify for this specific routine preventive slot, as their health has already been clinically evaluated during that period.

Physical Examinations and Diagnostic Assessments

During the preventive visit, the family doctor evaluates the patient’s overall health and lifestyle risk factors. According to the NHS, the most common risk factors identified in patients include smoking, arterial hypertension or high blood pressure, and elevated blood cholesterol levels. The physician performs a physical examination that includes listening to complaints, assessing health status, measuring blood pressure and pulse, checking weight and height, inspecting skin and mucous membranes, auscultating the heart and lungs, and examining cervical, axillary, and groin lymph nodes.

Depending on the clinical findings, doctors may also assess vision, hearing, mental, sensory, motor, and neurological functions, evaluate the thyroid gland, and palpate the abdomen. Following the examination, family doctors provide personalized lifestyle recommendations and may order additional diagnostic tests or specialist consultations.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessments and Diabetes Screenings

Patients aged 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 undergo a specialized cardiovascular disease risk assessment using the SCORE method during their visit. This process evaluates smoking history, cardiovascular disease history, blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density and high-density cholesterol, triglycerides, and includes an evaluation of carotid arteries, heart sounds, and an electrocardiogram (ECG).

For diabetes screening, the NHS states that fasting plasma glucose level testing is available to certain patients without pre-existing diabetes risk factors starting at age 40, and subsequently every three years for individuals aged 45 to 72. However, annual fasting glucose testing is mandatory if the doctor records a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25 kilograms per meter squared alongside at least one additional risk factor, or if the patient has a prior diagnosis of borderline hyperglycemia.

State-Funded Cancer Screening Programs

The organized NHS cancer prevention program encompasses screenings for four major malignancies: cervical, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Because precancerous changes frequently present no symptoms or complaints, regular screenings allow for early detection and prompt treatment initiation, according to the NHS.

• Cervical Cancer: Women aged 25 to 29 receive screening invitations every three years, while women aged 30 to 70 receive them every five years. Invitation letters serve directly as service referrals. The NHS notes that in 2025, a more effective human papillomavirus (HPV) test will be introduced, where a negative result extends the screening interval to five years.
• Breast Cancer: Invitation letters are mailed every two years to women aged 50 to 68. Letters arrive approximately three months after the recipient’s birthday, sent via physical mail to their declared residence or digitally through the Latvija.gov.lv portal.
• Colorectal and Prostate Cancers: State-funded screenings for colorectal cancer are organized for both men and women, while prostate cancer screenings are available specifically for male patients.