Your First Longevity Check-up: What Actually Happens

You know you could be doing more for your health. You have read about preventive medicine, you understand biomarkers, and you know that long-term health is not left to chance. Yet, you hesitate. The Problem is: People who know a lot about health often develop a subtle fear of what a truly deep look inside might reveal.

The thoughts behind this are widespread: "What if they find something?" "Am I ready for the results?" "Is it really worth it?" These questions are valid. But the uncertainty of not knowing is usually more burdensome than the clarity provided by data. A comprehensive longevity check-up is not a traditional sick visit, nor is it a passive screening for the elderly or a test that only looks for problems. It is an active baseline assessment—a data-driven foundation for the coming decades of your health.

This article walks you step-by-step through a complete assessment day at YEARS. No marketing jargon, no unexplained medical terms—just an honest look at what to expect, from your arrival to the final strategy consultation.

Why Many People Delay Their First Longevity Check-up

The paradox of prevention: The very people who think most about their health often delay the concrete step of measuring it the longest. The reasons are almost always the same.

1. Fear of the findings: You feel healthy and do not want to jeopardize that state with potentially bad news.
2. Perceived effort: Dedicating an entire day to health in a calendar full of meetings and obligations feels like a luxury.
3. Uncertainty about the value: What does this offer beyond an annual check-up with a primary care physician?

A longevity check-up differs fundamentally from a doctor's visit for acute symptoms. It takes place before symptoms arise. The goal is not to diagnose something you already feel, but to identify risks that build up over decades. If you are 42 today and know your VO₂max, you can concretely measure in five years whether you have improved.

Before the Appointment: How to Prepare for Your Longevity Check-up

Good preparation ensures that the collected data has maximum diagnostic value.

Fasting is crucial You should not eat anything for 10 to 12 hours before your appointment, drinking only water or unsweetened tea. There are two reasons for this:

• Blood markers: Many metabolic markers, especially blood sugar and lipids, react directly to food intake. A reliable baseline requires a fasting state.
• OGTT: The oral glucose tolerance test only works if you start in a fasted state.

Communicate medications and supplements Take your regular medications as usual unless a doctor has explicitly advised otherwise. During the preliminary consultation, inform the team about all medications and supplements. Particularly relevant are:

• Blood thinners (e.g., Aspirin, Marcumar, Eliquis)
• Thyroid hormones (e.g., L-Thyroxine)
• Blood sugar-lowering medications (e.g., Metformin)
• Hormone preparations

Practical items for the day Comfortable clothing and athletic shoes are mandatory. The VO₂max measurement on the cycle ergometer and the muscle strength analyses require freedom of movement. Also, bring your health insurance card, and if privately insured, your insurance documents.

Time management The YEARS Core® Program takes about six hours. Do not plan anything important for the evening. The VO₂max measurement is physically demanding, and after a full assessment day, you will be tired. No special preparation is needed for imaging procedures like ultrasound. For the YEARS Evolve® Program, which includes a whole-body MRI, specific requirements (such as regarding metal implants) are discussed separately in advance.

Arrival and Initial Consultation: Focusing on Your Goals

The day begins at the clinic on the 14th floor of Joachimsthaler Str. 34 in Berlin-Charlottenburg. After reception, you start with tests, followed with a detailed medical consultation.

A doctor from the YEARS medical team conducts the anamnesis. This conversation is not just a checklist of previous illnesses; it is exploratory and forward-looking. Topics discussed include:

• Family history: Heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases in your family.
• Personal medical history: Surgeries, chronic conditions, known diagnoses.
• Lifestyle: Sleep, nutrition, training volume and intensity, stress levels.

Most importantly, it focuses on your personal goals. Do you want to minimize your cardiovascular risk? Maintain cognitive performance long-term? Increase energy and resilience in everyday life? Or simply know that you are taking the right preventive steps?

This conversation creates the context for all subsequent measurements and determines the focus of the final strategy consultation. It feels less like a traditional doctor's visit and more like a structured discussion between two people pursuing the same goal.

The Assessments: What Happens Step by Step During a Longevity Check-up

After and before the consultation, the actual diagnostic circuit begins. In the YEARS Core® Program, this runs like a coordinated schedule without waiting times between stations. You are guided through the various modules.

1. Blood Draw and Laboratory (87+ Biomarkers) The day usually starts with a blood draw. The analysis includes over 87 biomarkers, going far beyond a standard blood panel:

• Metabolism: HOMA index (insulin resistance), fasting blood sugar, long-term blood sugar (HbA1c).
• Cardiovascular: ApoB (a more precise risk marker than LDL cholesterol), Lp(a) (a genetic risk factor), hs-CRP (a sensitive inflammatory marker), complete lipid profile.
• Vitamins & Trace Elements: Vitamin D3, ferritin (iron storage).
• Hormones & Organ Function: Thyroid hormones (TSH, fT3, fT4), liver and kidney markers.
• Fatty Acids: Omega-3 index, which measures the ratio of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory fatty acids in your cell membranes.

Hormones such as testosterone, DHEA-S, and cortisol are not part of the Core® Program. They are analyzed in the expanded panel of the YEARS Evolve® Program.

2. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) After the fasting blood draw, you drink a standardized sugar solution. Blood is drawn again after one and two hours to measure how efficiently your body metabolizes sugar. This test is significantly more informative than a single blood sugar measurement because it can reveal early signs of insulin resistance years before type 2 diabetes manifests.

3. Cardiovascular Diagnostics Three methods assess your cardiovascular system:

• 12-lead ECG: Electrical activity of the heart at rest.
• Arterial stiffness: Elasticity of the large arteries. Stiff vessels are an early indicator of elevated cardiovascular risk.
• Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI): Comparing blood pressure in the arms and legs to rule out peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

4. Imaging: Advanced Ultrasound An experienced physician performs an ultrasound examination of:

• Heart (Echocardiography): Pumping function, heart valves, size of the heart chambers.
• Abdominal organs: Liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and main aorta for structural anomalies.
• Thyroid: Size, structure, potential nodules.
• Blood vessels: Carotid arteries for deposits (plaques).

This imaging provides information that a simple blood test cannot. For example, someone with normal lipid levels who shows early plaques in the carotids requires a different assessment of their cardiovascular risk.

5. Lung Function via Body Plethysmography You sit in a glass cabin and breathe through a mouthpiece. Body plethysmography is more comprehensive than simple spirometry because it measures not only the inhaled and exhaled volume but also the total lung capacity, airway resistance, and the efficiency of gas exchange.

6. Body Composition and Performance Diagnostics Fitness is one of the strongest predictors of a long healthspan.

• 3D Body Scan & Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA): Muscle mass, body fat percentage, and distribution of visceral fat (belly fat).
• VO₂max (Ergospirometry): You ride a cycle ergometer with a measuring mask up to maximum exertion. The VO₂max value is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality. A study with over 120,000 participants showed that high cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a significantly longer lifespan (Mandsager et al., JAMA Netw Open 2018). Specifically: Moving from the lowest to the next fitness quintile reduces mortality risk more than quitting smoking.
• HRV Test, Muscle Strength, and Balance Analyses: These tests complete the picture of your physical performance capacity.

7. Neuro, Sensory, and AI-Supported Diagnostics

• Neurocognitive test battery: A computer-based test evaluates memory, attention, and processing speed. It provides a baseline for future comparisons.
• Hearing test (Audiometry) and Vision test: Both are part of the standard program but are often overlooked, even though hearing loss after 50 is a relevant risk factor for cognitive decline.
• AI Skin Cancer Screening: The FotoFinder ATBM Master systematically photographs your entire skin surface and analyzes it via AI for suspicious lesions.
• AI Funduscopy: High-resolution images of your retina. The fine blood vessels in the back of the eye are the only area in the body where vessels are directly visible without surgery. Changes here provide clues about your general vascular status.

8. Bone Density Measurement For the early detection of osteoporosis. A frequently underestimated aspect, especially for women after menopause and men over 55.

Intermission and Atmosphere

A six-hour assessment day is intensive. There are scheduled breaks between examinations. After the fasting tests are completed, the team provides you with a healthy meal and drinks. Many participants describe this moment as an unexpected relief; the blood sugar dip after hours of fasting is real.

The atmosphere in the clinic is deliberately designed differently than a hospital. No sterile waiting rooms, no taking numbers. The 14th floor, overlooking Charlottenburg, feels more like a quiet, focused workspace than a medical facility.

Some results are available immediately, such as blood pressure and the ECG printout. The complex laboratory values, the evaluation of the imaging, and the synthesis of all data take time. You leave the appointment without a finished stack of reports, but with the knowledge that all the puzzle pieces are now being brought together.

You should take it easy the evening after the VO₂max measurement. The test truly pushes you to your limit—that is the point.

Evaluation and Strategy Consultation: What Your Results Really Mean

The strategy consultation takes place about two weeks after the assessment day. This time gap ensures that all laboratory results are available and the radiological reports are written.

The foundation of the conversation is your YEARS Health Report, a document of over 60 pages. It is not a confusing lab printout, but a carefully prepared report that structures results by organ systems, presents them graphically, and interprets them understandably.

The consultation covers the following points:

• Notable values and risks: The doctor explains which findings require attention and how they should be evaluated in the context of your overall profile. A single slightly elevated value is rarely critical. The combination of several suboptimal markers may indicate a relevant risk.
• Your strengths: Just as concretely, what is going well is discussed. Excellent cardiorespiratory fitness or very good bone density are pieces of information that count just as much.
• Concrete action recommendations: Prioritized, clear recommendations based on the analysis.

In the case of unexpected findings, so-called incidental findings, this is communicated openly and calmly. The next steps are discussed, and if necessary, a referral to a specialist is organized.

Billing is based on the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ), which increases the chances of reimbursement from private health insurance. Details can be found in the FAQ.

What Happens After Your First Longevity Check-up

The assessment day and the strategy consultation are the starting point, not the endpoint. You do not go home with 30 to-dos. The focus is on three to five action areas with the greatest leverage.

Typical starting points:

• Nutrition: Adjustments based on biomarkers, for example, more Omega-3 if the index is poor, or fewer simple carbohydrates if early insulin resistance is present.
• Training: Optimizing your training plan based on your VO₂max value and personal training zones.
• Supplementation: Targeted recommendations, such as Vitamin D if a deficiency is identified.
• Sleep and stress management: Concrete strategies based on HRV data and anamnesis.

The Core® Program can be repeated annually to measure progress and adjust the strategy. For those who want to go deeper: The YEARS Evolve® and YEARS Ultimate® Programs offer advanced diagnostics such as whole-body MRI, liquid biopsy, epigenetic clocks, and coaching sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the First Longevity Check-up

Do I need to be sick to book an appointment?

No. YEARS diagnostics are designed for healthy, proactive individuals who want to identify risks before diseases develop. That is the core of preventive medicine.

How long does a longevity check-up at YEARS take?

The Core® Program takes about six hours. Evolve® and Ultimate® take around nine hours. This time is necessary to conduct all measurements without rushing.

What does the first appointment cost, and does private health insurance cover it?

The Core® Program costs €1,900. Billing is done according to GOÄ. Many private health insurances reimburse a significant portion, especially if medical indications are found. Statutory health insurances generally do not cover the costs.

Do I get my results directly on the same day?

You learn simple measurements like blood pressure immediately. The evaluation of the 87+ biomarkers and all examinations takes time. The detailed strategy consultation therefore takes place about two weeks later.

Is this the same as a standard annual check-up?

Not comparable. A standard check-up includes about 10 biomarkers, no imaging, no lung function, and no performance diagnostics. The Core® Program works with 87+ biomarkers, ultrasound, body plethysmography, VO₂max, and more.

What happens if something unexpected is found?

The finding is explained, the risk is contextualized, and the next steps are planned together. You are not left alone with such information.

What You Know After This Day

A longevity check-up at YEARS provides data, not vague advice. After the assessment day and the strategy consultation, you know your VO₂max, your ApoB concentration, the condition of your carotid arteries, your bone density, and around 80 other values, each with context and concrete implications.

Once you have done this, you trade vague worries for a measurable baseline. Whether anything changes depends on you, but the foundation is then in place.

Book a non-binding consultation now or compare our programs:

• View the YEARS Core® Program
• View the YEARS Evolve® Program

--- This article is for general information purposes and does not replace individual medical advice. The diagnostic programs at YEARS serve prevention and early detection and do not constitute treatment for existing diseases.

Sources

• Mandsager, K., Harb, S., Cremer, P., Phelan, D., Nissen, S. E., & Jaber, W. (2018). Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Network Open, 1(6), e183605. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605
• Mach, F., Baigent, C., Catapano, A. L., Koskinas, K. C., Casula, M., Badimon, L., ... & ESC Scientific Document Group. (2020). 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. European Heart Journal, 41(1), 111-188. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz455