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Health Check 360°

Health Check-up: What Gets Checked – and What It Really Delivers

Updated: 08/13/2026·8 min read·Medically reviewed
Daniel Lindenthal
Daniel LindenthalPhysician · Private practice Stuttgart
Stethoscope and doctor’s bag – symbols of a preventive medical exam

You feel healthy – but when did someone last take a thorough look at your blood pressure, your heart and your body? Many of the most common conditions, such as high blood pressure or heart and circulation problems, develop over years without any warning. That’s where the health check-up comes in: a structured stock-take that makes risks visible early – long before symptoms appear.

Key takeaways

  • The check-up is a structured preventive exam for people without current symptoms.
  • Our core parts: a detailed conversation, a thorough head-to-toe physical exam, blood pressure measurement and a resting EKG.
  • The goal is to catch silent risk factors early – above all high blood pressure, which causes no symptoms for years.
  • We don’t currently offer blood draws – just bring any lab results you have, and we’ll explain them in plain language.
  • Billed transparently as a private service under the GOÄ fee schedule, with a clear cost structure.

What is a health check-up?

A health check-up is a planned preventive exam for people who feel healthy. The point isn’t to chase a specific complaint, but to take a systematic look at where you stand right now: How are your heart and circulation doing? How does your heart beat, how do your lungs sound, what’s your blood pressure? And are there risk factors you can still change with simple steps?

The value lies in early detection. High blood pressure in particular causes no symptoms at all for years – but during that time it’s already damaging your blood vessels, heart and kidneys. If you know your numbers and your risks, you can take action while it’s still easy. That’s exactly why a regular look pays off – especially when you feel fit.

What gets checked during the check-up?

A good check-up is, above all, thorough and personal. In our Health Check 360° in central Stuttgart, we combine several parts into one complete picture – with enough time for every single step:

  • Detailed medical history: past illnesses, medications, family risks, lifestyle, sleep, stress – this conversation is the foundation of good preventive care, and we deliberately give it plenty of room.
  • Head-to-toe physical exam: listening to your heart and lungs, feeling your abdomen, checking your thyroid, skin and lymph nodes, plus your pulse and blood vessels.
  • Blood pressure measurement: standardized, at rest, on both arms if needed – the single most important number for your heart and circulation risk.
  • Resting EKG: recording your heart’s electrical activity gives clues to rhythm problems and other abnormalities – painless and done in a few minutes.
  • Review of your lab results: just bring any blood test results you have – we translate the columns of numbers into an overall assessment you can understand.
  • Results discussion with a clear roadmap: you find out right away what’s normal, what we should keep an eye on, and which steps make sense next.

To be honest: we don’t currently draw blood at our practice. Instead of selling you a lab package, we’d rather tell you honestly which blood tests make sense in your situation and where you can have them done – and then go over the results together with you.

Who should get a check-up – and how often?

In general, every adult benefits from a regular health review. A check-up is especially worthwhile if any of the following applies to you:

  • From middle age on: with the years, the risk of high blood pressure and heart and circulation disease rises clearly.
  • Family history: heart attack, stroke, diabetes or high blood pressure in close relatives.
  • Everyday risk factors: smoking, excess weight, little exercise, constant stress or irregular sleep.
  • No exam in a long time: if your last thorough exam was years ago – or you simply can’t remember.
  • Before a fresh start: for example before starting an intense training program or making a major life change.

As a rule of thumb: without special risk factors, about every one to three years; more often if you have existing risks or earlier abnormal results. We’ll settle on the right interval for you together.

When was your last check?

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How the Health Check 360° works at our practice

So you know what to expect, here’s how it typically goes at Privatpraxis Lindenthal on Rotebühlplatz:

  • Booking with a short pre-talk: you briefly describe your situation and what you’d like – so we can plan the right scope for your check.
  • The exam appointment: medical history, physical exam, blood pressure measurement and resting EKG in one single visit – no special preparation needed.
  • Results discussion right afterward: no waiting for letters in the mail. We go through all results together in the same visit and answer your questions.
  • Your personal roadmap: concrete, practical recommendations – and if additional tests or lab work make sense, we tell you honestly which ones and where.
Blood pressure measurement on the upper arm – a fixed part of the health check-up

How to prepare for your check-up

  • Bring a list of your medications: including over-the-counter products and supplements.
  • Pack earlier results: previous doctor’s letters, lab results or blood pressure logs help us spot trends – we’re happy to explain them for you.
  • Wear comfortable clothes: for the physical exam and the EKG you’ll undress from the waist up – an easy top makes it more comfortable.
  • Write down your questions: anything you’ve been wanting to know for a while – the check-up is the right setting for it.
  • Arrive relaxed: allow a little extra time and avoid coffee, nicotine and exercise right beforehand – it makes your blood pressure and EKG readings more meaningful.

Cost: transparent billing under the GOÄ

The Health Check 360° is a private service, billed transparently under the German fee schedule for physicians (GOÄ). Patients with private insurance or civil-servant benefits (Beihilfe) usually get preventive exams reimbursed. As a self-pay patient, you get a clear cost structure before your appointment – matched to the agreed scope, with no hidden items.

An honest word: a check-up is a snapshot, not a guarantee – preventive care can’t rule out every disease. Its value is in making the common, very changeable risk factors visible early. If symptoms come up between two checks, always have them looked at promptly – that’s what our Same-Day Clinic is for.

“Preventive care isn’t about hunting for diseases. It’s about protecting your health – while everything is still easy to change.”

Daniel Lindenthal, Physician

Frequently asked questions about the health check-up

What happens during a health check-up?
The core parts are a detailed conversation about your medical history, a thorough head-to-toe physical exam (including listening to your heart and lungs and feeling your abdomen and thyroid), a blood pressure measurement and a resting EKG. We explain any lab results you bring in plain language and talk honestly about which other blood tests would make sense.
Do I need to fast before the check-up?
No. Since we don’t currently draw blood at our practice, there’s no need to fast. Just avoid coffee, nicotine and exercise right before your appointment – that way your blood pressure and EKG readings are most meaningful.
How long does the check-up take, and when do I get the results?
Depending on the scope, the appointment takes about 45 to 60 minutes. The best part: we go over all results – from the physical exam to your blood pressure to the EKG – right afterward. You leave with a clear assessment and concrete recommendations.
How often should I get a health check?
Without special risk factors, every one to three years is a good rule of thumb. If you have a family history, existing risk factors or earlier abnormal results, more frequent checks may make sense – your doctor will decide that with you individually.
Where can I get a health check in Stuttgart?
At Privatpraxis Lindenthal on Rotebühlplatz in central Stuttgart, we offer the Health Check 360°: a detailed medical history, physical exam, blood pressure measurement and resting EKG, with a results discussion right afterward. Same-day appointments are usually available, and billing is transparent under the GOÄ fee schedule.

Sources

  1. Federal Joint Committee (G-BA): Directive on health examinations for the early detection of disease. g-ba.de
  2. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): gesundheitsinformation.de – Health check-up. gesundheitsinformation.de
  3. Robert Koch Institute: Health monitoring – Use of early-detection examinations. rki.de
This article is for general information only. It does not replace personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms, please contact the practice directly.
Daniel Lindenthal
Daniel Lindenthal

Physician and founder of Privatpraxis Lindenthal in Stuttgart. His standard: fair, transparent care that treats you as an equal.

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