Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American men, and it usually builds for decades with no symptoms. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and waist size are your early warning system, and nearly all of them respond to treatment.
Know your numbers
Enter whatever you have from a recent checkup or lab report. Leave the rest blank. Everything stays in your browser.
Your results will appear here as you type.
Measure your waist at the top of your hip bones, relaxed, after breathing out. Categories follow standard U.S. clinical cutoffs for adult men. They're a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a diagnosis. Your overall risk depends on age, family history, smoking, and other factors.
Men develop heart disease earlier. On average, heart disease shows up in men several years to a decade earlier than in women.
The early stages are silent. High blood pressure, high LDL, and prediabetes usually cause no symptoms at all. Many men find out only after a heart attack.
Erectile dysfunction can be an early warning. The arteries in the penis are smaller than those in the heart, so they often show damage first. New ED, especially under 60, often comes years before heart symptoms and is worth a cardiovascular checkup.
It's tied to testosterone. Low testosterone is much more common in men with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, and improving metabolic health can raise it. Testosterone guide →
The checkups worth getting
Test
How often (typical adult man)
Blood pressure
At least yearly, and more often if it's above normal. Home monitoring is ideal.
Lipid panel
Every 4–6 years if normal, more often if elevated or on treatment.
A1c or fasting glucose
Every 3 years from age 35, or earlier if overweight. Yearly if in the prediabetes range.
Lipoprotein(a)
Once in your life. It's genetic and barely changes.
Waist circumference
Anytime, with a tape measure at home.
Don't know your numbers?
A lipid panel, A1c, ApoB, and Lp(a) can all be drawn together. Our sponsor Goodlabs offers discounted bloodwork, and you can bring the results to your doctor.
Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to the arm, jaw, or back, sudden shortness of breath, face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech. Don't drive yourself, and don't wait to see if it passes.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general education only and is not medical advice. The number checker uses general population cutoffs and cannot assess your individual risk. Talk to a licensed physician about your results and before starting or changing any treatment.