Nigeria
Medical check-up in Nigeria: what a useful panel actually contains
Most Nigerian labs and HMO packages sell a 'general medical check-up' as a bundle. The bundles vary widely, and a long invoice is not the same as a useful one. This page sets out what belongs in an adult check-up, what each line means, and what to do with the printout once you have it.
The core panel worth paying for
Blood pressure, pulse, height, weight and waist circumference cost almost nothing and drive more risk decisions than anything else on the invoice. Add fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, a full lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) and serum creatinine. Together those cover hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome and early kidney disease — the conditions responsible for most preventable adult deaths in Nigeria.
What is usually padding
Broad tumour-marker panels sold to people with no symptoms and no family history generate false alarms far more often than they find cancer. Vitamin and mineral screens rarely change treatment. If a package is priced by the number of lines, ask which lines would change what your doctor does.
How often to repeat it
Yearly for blood pressure and body measurements. Every one to three years for glucose, HbA1c and lipids if the last set was normal; yearly if anything was borderline, or if you have diabetes, raised blood pressure or a first-degree relative with either. After 40, an annual cardiovascular risk estimate is reasonable regardless.
Turning the printout into a decision
Enter the results here — or photograph the lab report and let the scanner prefill the fields. Vitals scores them against standard clinical ranges, runs ASCVD, QRISK3, SCORE2-Diabetes, CKD-EPI and fracture models over the same numbers, and produces a PDF you can hand to your doctor with the sources attached.
Keep reading
Educational only. Reference ranges are general guidance and are not a diagnosis — take your results to a qualified clinician.
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