How much preventive health screening should I be getting?

Screenings can find treatable conditions before they have caused too much damage – but ‘overscreening’ can cause harm I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when the tech entrepreneur and longevity influencer Bryan Johnson posted about his girlfriend’s “vaginal microbiome report” in April. (He said it was in the “top 1% of vaginas”.) While the vaginal microbiome is genuinely interesting, most clinicians don’t routinely recommend this test to patients. As medical technology has become more powerful – and more marketable – the line between helpful screening and unnecessary testing has blurred. Of course, some medical testing helps prevent premature disease and death. But the direct-to-consumer testing industry is increasingly promoting tests that promise reassurance but often deliver ambiguous findings. The results may lead to expensive follow-ups or leave people with the creeping sense that their body is full of hidden dangers. Here’s what you need to know about screening tests. Screening is medical testing that looks for medical conditions before you have symptoms. The best kinds of screening tests find treatable conditions before they have caused too much damage, and enable clinicians t

Jun 21, 2026 → Jun 21, 2026