Several conditions develop without symptoms and are far easier to manage caught early. The checks that find them are cheap, quick and widely skipped.
Blood pressure
Silent until it has done damage. A reading takes two minutes and can be done at a pharmacy or at home. Worth knowing your number and checking periodically.
Eyes
An eye examination checks more than whether you need glasses. Glaucoma damages peripheral vision so gradually that people do not notice until substantial loss has occurred, and it is treatable if found.
The examination also shows blood vessels directly, which sometimes reveals diabetes or hypertension before anything else does.
Hearing
Damage is gradual and permanent. A baseline test in your thirties makes later changes measurable, and hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline in ways that are being actively researched.
Teeth
Regular checks catch decay before it reaches the point of needing serious intervention. Dental problems are also linked to cardiovascular health, which is less widely known.
Skin
Knowing what your moles look like and noticing change. Anything changing in size, shape, colour or border warrants being looked at.
Blood tests
Cholesterol, blood glucose and, depending on circumstances, vitamin D, B12 and iron. These identify things that are silent and manageable.
Screening programmes
Whatever your country offers by age and sex – cervical, bowel, breast, prostate. Participation rates are well below what is offered and the programmes exist because they change outcomes.
The caveat
What is appropriate depends on age, sex, family history and existing conditions. This is a prompt to ask a doctor, not a schedule to follow.