Sixteen studies with a total of 180,000 adults (under 65 years of age) investigated whether regular check-ups decrease cancer mortality, cardiovascular mortality, or total mortality. The answer is no three times over.27 Nor did check-ups reduce morbidity; that is, suffering from symptoms. The only effect found was that the number of new diagnoses among those who went for check-ups increased, making healthy people worry and leading to further diagnoses and treatments without noticeable benefit.
