Each panel runs on its own clock: cholesterol every 4 to 6 years when normal, A1C every 3 years when normal (yearly in prediabetes), other panels when something needs answering. Risk factors shorten every interval.
A diagnosis turns blood work into monitoring: A1C every 3 to 6 months in diabetes, TSH rechecks after thyroid dose changes, lipid checks after starting statins - and some medications carry mandatory lab schedules your prescriber should name. Smart habits: baseline set in your thirties, ask what was ordered and when it repeats, keep your results - trends catch what single values miss. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can interpret a result or check whether you are due.
What to do
Common questions
How often should I get blood work?
Blood work is not one test on one schedule - each panel has its own logic. For healthy adults with normal baselines: cholesterol is typically checked every 4 to 6 years when normal (more often with risk factors or borderline numbers); blood sugar screening (A1C) every 3 years when normal, yearly when prediabetes shows; a basic metabolic panel and blood count happen when something needs answering rather than on a fixed clock. What changes the schedule: risk factors (family history, extra weight, smoking, high blood pressure) pull every interval shorter; a diagnosis turns blood work into monitoring - diabetics track A1C every 3 to 6 months, thyroid patients on levothyroxine recheck TSH after dose changes and then periodically, people on statins get a baseline liver check and lipids after starting; and some medications carry their own mandatory lab schedules (your prescriber should name them at the start). The smart habits: get a baseline set in your thirties so later numbers have something to compare against, ask when you leave what was ordered and when it repeats, and keep your results - trends across years catch things single values miss. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you interpret a result or work out whether you are due.