Men’s Health Clinic Birmingham: What Does a Private Men’s Health Assessment Include?
A private men's health assessment in Birmingham can provide an opportunity to step back and look at the wider picture of your health rather than just focusing on one isolated symptom.
At Complete Clinical Care in Edgbaston, Birmingham, men's health consultations are designed around you. Your clinician can review your medical history, lifestyle, symptoms and personal risk factors before deciding whether any examinations, blood tests or further investigations would work for you and your goals.
Key Takeaways
A private men's health assessment begins with your medical history, symptoms, medication, lifestyle and personal risk factors.
You do not need to have a specific symptom to book a preventative men's health consultation.
Your assessment may include blood pressure, weight, cardiovascular risk and personalised blood testing where appropriate.
Blood tests may investigate cholesterol, diabetes risk, blood count, thyroid function, iron status, hormones and other relevant biomarkers.
Testosterone testing is most useful when symptoms or clinical history suggest that hormone assessment may be appropriate.
Erectile difficulties can sometimes be associated with cardiovascular, metabolic, hormonal or psychological factors and are worth discussing rather than ignoring.
Prostate health and PSA testing can be discussed based on symptoms, age, family history and individual risk.
Not every man needs every available blood test or screening investigation.
Mental wellbeing, sleep, alcohol, smoking, exercise and nutrition can all form part of a comprehensive health assessment.
If further investigation is required, your GP may arrange additional tests, imaging or specialist referral.
Complete Clinical Care currently offers private men's health consultations in Edgbaston for £99.
What Is a Private Men's Health Assessment?
There is no single standardised test called a "men's health assessment."
A useful health assessment should be tailored to:
Your age
Symptoms
Medical history
Family history
Medication
Lifestyle
Existing health conditions
Personal concerns
Individual health risks
For one man, the priority may be cardiovascular health and for another, it might be looking at low energy and possible testosterone deficiency.
Someone else may primarily want to discuss prostate cancer risk because his father was diagnosed at a young age. The consultation should therefore start with you, rather than with a pre-selected list of blood markers.
At Complete Clinical Care, our preventative men's healthcare appointment reviews your medical history, lifestyle and risk factors, and helps you find the appropriate checks and investigations for your health.
Who Should Consider a Men's Health Check?
You do not need to reach a particular age before taking your health seriously, nor do you need to wait until your symptoms become severe.
You should consider a private men's health assessment if:
You have not had a general health review for several years
You have a family history of cardiovascular disease
You have a family history of diabetes
You are concerned about prostate cancer risk
Your energy levels have changed
Your sex drive has fallen
You have erectile difficulties
You are experiencing urinary symptoms
Your weight has changed significantly
You are under considerable stress
Your sleep is poor
You want to understand your cardiovascular risk
You are concerned about testosterone
You want preventative blood testing
You simply want a clearer picture of your current health
What Happens at Your First Appointment?
A men's health assessment usually begins with a detailed conversation about your medical history, current medications, recent medical procedures and your concerns and/or goals for your health. It’s a great idea to bring information such as medication lists and previous test results with you to your appointment so that your clinician can get the best overall insight into your health.
For a complete health check - your clinician will look at major areas that can affect health - see more information down below:
What We Look At:
Cardiovascular Health: Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Heart Risk
Heart and circulatory health should be an important part of preventative healthcare for many men. Cardiovascular disease includes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels and can contribute to:
Heart attacks
Stroke
Peripheral vascular disease
Some major cardiovascular risk factors can exist silently for years. These include:
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking
Obesity
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is one of the simplest health measurements available and is actually one of the most useful. One high reading does not mean that you will be diagnosed with high blood pressure, but can be a useful indicator for a number of different issues.
Blood pressure can temporarily rise because of:
Stress
Anxiety
Caffeine
Exercise
Pain
Home monitoring may also be recommended to assess whether the rise is consistent or a one off occurrence.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol testing includes measurements such as:
Total cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol
Triglycerides
Again, having one high cholesterol reading isn’t an instant indicator of heart disease or poor health. It’s true that raised cholesterol can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, however your clinician will look at these alongside the context of your age, lifestyle, family history and co-morbidities before giving any advice.
Cardiovascular Risk
A doctor may consider factors such as:
Age
Blood pressure
Cholesterol
Smoking
Diabetes
Family history
Weight
Existing medical conditions
The NHS Health Check uses measurements including blood pressure, cholesterol and sometimes blood sugar alongside lifestyle and family-history information to assess future cardiovascular risk.
If you are concerned about your cardiovascular health specifically, we offer a separate 60-minute cardiology assessment for £199 where we can complete an even more detailed review of your cardiac health.
Diabetes and Metabolic Health
Type 2 diabetes can develop gradually and you can develop type 2 diabetes or prediabetes before experiencing obvious symptoms, which makes metabolic health important to consider during a health assessment.
HbA1c
Rather than showing your blood sugar at one single moment, HbA1c provides information about average blood-glucose levels over the previous 3 months as it monitors the amount of glucose attached to your haemoglobin molecules.
It can help identify:
Prediabetes
Type 2 diabetes
How well existing diabetes is being managed
Your clinician may consider testing particularly relevant if you have risk factors such as:
Family history of diabetes
Excess weight
Previous high blood sugar
High blood pressure
Certain ethnic backgrounds
Symptoms suggestive of diabetes
Testosterone and Hormone Health
Testosterone gets an enormous amount of attention online, and it can be tempting to assume that fatigue, reduced gym performance or lower libido automatically mean that your testosterone is low.
However, other health conditions including poor sleep, stress, thyroid disease, anaemia, iron deficiency, diabetes, medication and mental-health difficulties can all produce overlapping symptoms that can mimic the effect of low testosterone levels.
The NHS lists possible symptoms of testosterone deficiency including:
Reduced sex drive
Erectile dysfunction
Low energy
Changes in mood
Reduced muscle mass
Reduced exercise capacity
But it also emphasises that these symptoms can have many other physical, psychological and lifestyle causes.
At Complete Clinical Care, men's hormone concerns are assessed through symptoms and medical history first, with personalised blood testing or other investigations recommended where appropriate.
Erectile Dysfunction and Sexual Health
Persistent erectile dysfunction is worth mentioning to your doctor because it can have:
Physical causes
Psychological causes
Hormonal causes
Medication-related causes
The NHS identifies possible contributors including:
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Depression
Anxiety
Hormone problems
Certain medicines
Prostate and Urinary Health
Another common concern as men get older is prostate health.
You might notice:
Needing to urinate more frequently
Waking several times during the night
Difficulty starting urination
A weaker stream
Urgency
Feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied
These symptoms do not automatically mean prostate cancer. Benign (non cancerous) prostate enlargement is common as men age, however, persistent or changing urinary symptoms are definitely worth discussing with your clinician.
If your clinician is concerned about your risk of prostate cancer, then they will likely recommend PSA testing. PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen and testing the levels of it in your blood gives clinicians a better indication of whether further testing for prostate cancer is needed. It is not a means of diagnosis on its own but can be an excellent indicator of your prostate health.
It’s also important to note that PSA can rise because of:
Prostate cancer
Benign prostate enlargement
Prostate inflammation
Infection
Other factors affecting the prostate
The NHS recommends discussing the advantages and limitations of PSA testing with a clinician before deciding whether it is appropriate.
At Complete Clinical Care, prostate-related symptoms and individual prostate cancer risk can be discussed as part of a men's health consultation, including whether PSA testing or further investigation may be appropriate.
What Blood Tests Might Be Included?
This is probably one of the biggest reasons people book private health assessments.
There is an understandable appeal in thinking:
“Let's just check everything.”
But more testing is not automatically better testing.
Blood tests should ideally answer a question.
Depending on your symptoms, age and medical history, a men's health assessment might consider areas such as:
Full Blood Count
A full blood count looks at components including:
Red blood cells
White blood cells
Haemoglobin
Platelets
It can provide useful information when investigating areas such as anaemia or certain infections.
Iron and Ferritin
Iron studies may be considered if you are experiencing:
Persistent fatigue
Reduced exercise capacity
Breathlessness
Other symptoms where iron deficiency is suspected
Vitamin B12 and Folate
These nutrients are involved in normal red-blood-cell production and neurological function.
Testing may be appropriate in certain symptom patterns or where deficiency risk exists.
Thyroid Function
Thyroid abnormalities can contribute to symptoms including:
Fatigue
Weight changes
Changes in mood
Changes in heart rate
Concentration difficulties
Vitamin D
Testing may be considered when clinically appropriate.
HbA1c
This helps assess longer-term blood glucose and may help identify diabetes or prediabetes.
Cholesterol
A lipid profile can help assess cardiovascular risk.
Liver and Kidney Function
These may be relevant depending on:
Medication
Existing conditions
Symptoms
Cardiovascular or metabolic risk
Hormones
Where clinically indicated, testing could include:
Testosterone
SHBG
LH
FSH
Prolactin
Personalised Testing at Complete Clinical Care
Here Complete Clinical Care, we don’t limit men's health testing to one fixed panel.
Our personalised blood-testing service allows biomarkers to be selected according to the patient's symptoms, medical history and clinical assessment. Results can then be reviewed and appropriate follow-up arranged.
The clinic currently lists personalised testing as a £120 phlebotomy and analysis fee plus the cost of the chosen biomarkers, with a quote provided before testing.
This allows the investigation to be tailored rather than simply ordering every available marker.
Mental Health, Stress and Sleep
A men's health check should not stop at blood results.
Mental wellbeing matters too.
You might be experiencing:
Persistent stress
Anxiety
Low mood
Burnout
Poor motivation
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep disturbance
These symptoms can also overlap with physical problems.
For example:
Poor sleep can affect energy.
Depression can affect libido.
Stress can affect sexual function.
Sleep deprivation can affect appetite, mood and physical performance.
The NHS notes that symptoms often attributed to a so-called "male menopause", including fatigue, low libido, erectile difficulties and mood changes, may actually be related to stress, anxiety, poor sleep, alcohol, lifestyle or other health factors rather than testosterone deficiency.
Do You Need Every Test?
No. A comprehensive men's health assessment does not mean that you should test absolutely everything. Screening people without symptoms can sometimes produce abnormal results that do not actually represent disease.
That can lead to:
Anxiety
Repeat testing
Unnecessary investigations
Incidental findings
Additional cost
Government guidance on private health screening specifically notes that broad screening is not recommended for every possible health condition and highlights targeted cardiovascular risk assessment rather than indiscriminate testing.
Good Testing Starts With a Question
For example:
“Why am I exhausted?”
may lead to a different blood-test panel from:
“Why has my libido changed?”
which is different again from:
“What is my cardiovascular risk?”
That is why we would advise a clinical consultation before testing.
What Happens If Something Is Abnormal?
An abnormal blood result is not automatically a diagnosis.
Possible Next Steps
Your doctor may recommend:
Repeating the test
Monitoring the result
Lifestyle changes
Medication
Additional blood tests
Imaging
A specialist opinion
Another GP appointment
If your clinician feels that further testing is needed, then they will walk you through the different options with you, write referral letters where necessary and stay in contact with the specialist you are referred to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a private men's health assessment include?
A private men's health assessment can include discussion of your medical history, family history, symptoms, medication and lifestyle. Depending on your individual circumstances, the clinician may then recommend checks such as blood pressure, cardiovascular risk assessment, personalised blood tests, hormone testing, prostate assessment or other investigations. We tailor our men's health assessment to the individual rather than using one standard panel.
Do I need to have symptoms to book a men's health check?
No. If you are ever worried or concerned about your health then please seek advice from a clinician.
What blood tests should men have?
There is no single blood-test panel that every man needs. Depending on age, symptoms and medical history, testing might include cholesterol, HbA1c, full blood count, thyroid function, iron markers, kidney or liver function and hormones. Tests should be selected according to the clinical question.
Does a men's health assessment include testosterone testing?
Not automatically. Testosterone testing is most useful when symptoms or medical history suggest that hormone deficiency may be possible. We can arrange personalised hormone testing where clinically appropriate.
What are common symptoms of low testosterone?
Possible symptoms include reduced libido, erectile difficulties, low energy, reduced strength, mood changes and changes in exercise capacity. These symptoms can also have many other causes, so blood testing and clinical assessment are required before testosterone deficiency is diagnosed.
Does a men's health check include a prostate test?
Prostate health can be discussed as part of a men's health consultation. Depending on your age, symptoms, family history and individual risk, a clinician may discuss PSA blood testing or further assessment. A PSA result alone cannot diagnose prostate cancer.
Do I need a rectal examination at a men's health check?
Not routinely. Whether a physical or rectal examination is appropriate depends on your symptoms and the clinical reason for assessment. Your clinician should explain any examination and obtain your consent before proceeding.
Can erectile dysfunction be discussed during a men's health consultation?
Yes. Our men's health service includes confidential support for erectile difficulties, libido changes and other intimate-health concerns.
Can erectile dysfunction indicate another health problem?
Sometimes. Persistent erectile dysfunction can be associated with conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, anxiety and hormonal problems. This is why recurrent symptoms are worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
Does a men's health assessment include cholesterol testing?
Cholesterol may be useful as part of cardiovascular risk assessment depending on your age and health history. The NHS Health Check also uses cholesterol alongside blood pressure and other factors to assess future cardiovascular risk.
Can a men's health check test for diabetes?
Blood glucose or HbA1c testing may be considered where appropriate to assess diabetes or prediabetes risk. The appropriate test depends on your health and clinical circumstances.
What happens if my blood tests are abnormal?
Your clinician can interpret the results alongside your symptoms and medical history. Depending on the finding, the next step might involve repeating the test, monitoring, treatment, lifestyle changes, further investigations or specialist referral.
Can Complete Clinical Care arrange specialist referrals?
Yes. Complete Clinical Care can arrange further blood tests and investigations and refer patients to an appropriate specialist or service when assessment or imaging is required elsewhere.
How much is a men's health consultation at Complete Clinical Care?
Complete Clinical Care’s Men's Health Consultations are £99. Additional blood tests or investigations may carry separate fees depending on what is clinically appropriate.
Where is Complete Clinical Care's men's health clinic?
Complete Clinical Care is located at 38 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3EB. The clinic provides private men's health consultations, personalised blood testing, preventative healthcare and additional GP services.
