Essential Men's Health Check

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by prostate gland cells. Elevated levels can indicate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, or prostate cancer. While PSA is not a perfect screening test — it can be elevated in benign conditions and normal in some early cancers — it provides useful baseline data. Men aged 50 and over, or younger men with a family history of prostate cancer, benefit most from monitoring PSA trends over time. A single elevated reading requires follow-up rather than alarm; your physician report will interpret it in the context of your age and risk profile.

A low testosterone result, particularly when accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, low libido, mood changes, and reduced muscle mass, warrants a GP consultation. Your physician report will indicate whether the finding is clinically significant and what next steps are appropriate. Options explored by a GP include lifestyle assessment (sleep, exercise, weight, stress), repeat testing to confirm, and if appropriate, referral to an endocrinologist. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is available in the UK on prescription for confirmed, symptomatic hypogonadism — private self-supplementation should never be undertaken based on a single test result.

GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) is a sensitive liver enzyme that rises with regular alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels. It is also elevated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), biliary tract disease, and in those taking enzyme-inducing medications. An isolated elevated GGT in an otherwise healthy man with no other liver enzyme abnormalities often reflects alcohol intake or early fatty liver. Reducing alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks and retesting typically normalises GGT if alcohol is the primary cause — and provides a useful functional indicator of liver health.

In the UK, NHS targets for cardiovascular risk reduction are: total cholesterol below 5.0 mmol/L; LDL below 3.0 mmol/L (below 1.8 mmol/L for those at high cardiovascular risk); HDL above 1.0 mmol/L in men; and triglycerides below 1.7 mmol/L. Non-HDL cholesterol below 3.9 mmol/L is also used as a comprehensive atherogenic target. These are population-level reference points; your physician report will assess your individual profile in the context of your overall cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, family history, and lifestyle.

Vitamin D receptors are found in Leydig cells — the testosterone-producing cells in the testes — and research consistently shows a positive correlation between vitamin D status and testosterone levels in men. Several intervention studies have found that vitamin D supplementation in deficient men raises total testosterone, particularly when baseline deficiency is moderate to severe. Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in the UK, particularly during autumn and winter. Monitoring and correcting vitamin D status is a simple, evidence-based step that may support healthy testosterone levels alongside other lifestyle factors.

Annual testing is appropriate for most men over 40 as a comprehensive health baseline. Younger men in good health may retest every 2 years unless specific concerns arise. If any results are outside the reference range, the physician report will recommend a specific retesting timeline — for example, after dietary changes for cholesterol, or after B12 supplementation for anaemia. PSA should ideally be trended over time: a rising PSA — even within the normal range — may be clinically meaningful and warrants medical review.