How to Prepare for a Health Checkup in China
Fast for about 8–12 hours before your appointment — most hospitals ask you to stop eating after 8–10pm the night before a morning checkup and arrive with an empty stomach. Small sips of plain water are usually fine; skip coffee, tea, juice, alcohol, and hard exercise. Bring your passport, a list of your medications and conditions, and wear metal-free clothing you can change out of quickly. Prepare well and a full checkup runs smoothly in a single morning.
The night before: last meal by ~8–10pm, no alcohol for 24–48 hours, sleep normally. On the day: fasting (water only), take essential daily medication with a sip of water, and bring your passport, meds list, and any recent results. Wear a two-piece, metal-free outfit. Diabetics should ask their prescriber whether to delay medication until after the fasting blood draw.
How long to fast before the checkup
A health checkup in China almost always includes fasting blood tests — glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, liver and kidney function — plus an abdominal ultrasound, all of which need an empty stomach to read accurately. The standard instruction is to fast for 8–12 hours: for an 8–9am appointment, finish eating by about 8–10pm and then take nothing but water. Fatty food, sugar, or even a milky coffee inside the window can push your triglyceride and glucose numbers up and force a repeat draw, so it is worth taking seriously.
Water is the exception. A little plain water keeps you comfortable, makes the blood draw easier, and helps fill the bladder for an abdominal or pelvic ultrasound. Avoid chewing gum (it triggers digestion) and do not smoke before the tests.
Water, food, and drink: what's allowed
| Item | Before the checkup |
|---|---|
| Plain water (small sips) | Allowed — up to ~1–2h before |
| Coffee, tea, juice, milk | Avoid during fast |
| Food, sweets, gum | Avoid during fast |
| Alcohol | Avoid 24–48h before |
| Cigarettes | Avoid morning of |
| Vigorous exercise | Avoid the day before |
If your package includes a urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori or a glucose-tolerance test, the fasting rules are stricter and timed — the hospital will give specific instructions, so read them the day before rather than the morning of.
Medications: what to take and what to hold
Do not stop any prescription on your own for a checkup. As a general rule:
- Take as usual (small sip of water): blood-pressure tablets, thyroid medication, and most daily maintenance drugs — unless your own doctor has told you otherwise.
- Ask first / often held: diabetes tablets and insulin are frequently delayed until after the fasting blood draw because you have not eaten; clarify the timing with your prescriber before you travel.
- Bring the evidence: carry the boxes or a written list with generic names and doses. Brand names differ between countries, and generic names help the checkup physician.
What to bring on the day
- Passport — registration and results in China are tied to it; the name on your report must match it.
- Appointment or package confirmation, and payment (card or the hospital's preferred app).
- A short medical summary: current conditions, allergies, past surgeries, and any recent test results you want compared.
- Glasses if you wear them (there is a vision check), and a list of questions.
- Metal-free, two-piece clothing — you change repeatedly for imaging and ECG, so avoid underwire, zips, and jewellery.
The day before: a simple checklist
Preparation is mostly about the evening before. Keep it calm: eat a light, low-fat dinner and finish by the time the hospital specifies; skip alcohol and any strenuous workout; sleep a normal night, because poor sleep and exertion nudge blood pressure and heart rate. If a urine sample is on your package, women should ideally schedule around menstruation. If you are adding endoscopy, colonoscopy needs a clear-liquid day and bowel-prep laxative — that is a separate, more involved preparation covered in our endoscopy guide.
If English is a concern
Preparation instructions are sometimes sent in Chinese. Confirm the fasting window and arrival time in English before the day, and ask whether you are booked through an international or VIP department where staff and consent forms are in English. Arranging an interpreter or a bilingual concierge in advance removes most day-of friction — see our guide to English-speaking hospitals.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to fast before a health checkup in China?
About 8–12 hours. For a morning appointment, stop eating by roughly 8–10pm and take only plain water afterward. Fasting is needed for accurate blood glucose, lipids, liver function, and abdominal ultrasound.
Can I drink water before the checkup?
Yes — small sips of plain water are fine and help the blood draw and ultrasound. Avoid coffee, tea, juice, milk, and sugar during the fast. For a pelvic or prostate ultrasound you may be asked to drink and hold water, so follow the specific instruction.
Should I take my regular medication?
Take essential daily medication (e.g. blood-pressure, thyroid) with a small sip of water unless told otherwise, and bring the boxes or a list. Diabetes medication and insulin are often delayed until after the fasting blood draw — ask your prescriber first. Never stop a medication on your own.
What should I avoid the day before?
Alcohol for 24–48 hours, heavy or greasy meals, and vigorous exercise, all of which distort liver enzymes, lipids, and blood pressure. Sleep normally. For a urine sample, women should ideally avoid menstruation days.
What should I wear?
A comfortable two-piece outfit with no metal — avoid underwire, zips, and jewellery so you can change quickly for imaging and ECG. Bring glasses if you wear them.