BioMG across countries: where guidelines differ

For 21 common primary care questions, what France and other countries do, and what the WHO Essential Diagnostics List contains. Each row summarises an already-referenced "Elsewhere in the world" paragraph of a BioMG page: the sources are those of the pages.

BioMG follows French guidelines. This table does not rank countries: it shows the differences and why they exist.

WHO row: fourth WHO Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL 4, 2023). Section I: tests to make available without a laboratory (community, health facility); section II: with a laboratory. A fifth edition (2025) is available on the WHO website; it was not used here.

Updated 11 November 2026.

The 21 questions

  1. Can HbA1c be used to diagnose diabetes?
  2. Gestational diabetes: screen every pregnant woman, or only those at risk?
  3. Toxoplasmosis: monthly serology in non-immune pregnant women?
  4. Group B streptococcus: routine swab in late pregnancy?
  5. TSH in every pregnant woman, or targeted screening?
  6. Vitamin D: when should it be measured?
  7. PSA: screen for prostate cancer?
  8. Colorectal cancer screening: ages, interval, FIT threshold
  9. Cervical screening: cytology or HPV test, from what age?
  10. Hepatitis B and C: test every adult once?
  11. STI screening without symptoms: who, which sites, with syphilis?
  12. Adult health check: which blood tests?
  13. Lipoprotein(a): one test in a lifetime for everyone?
  14. Mildly raised TSH: when to repeat, are anti-TPO antibodies needed?
  15. Iron deficiency: which ferritin threshold, what follow-up?
  16. Vitamin B12 on metformin: test everyone?
  17. Coeliac disease: which test, and is a biopsy needed in adults?
  18. Chronic kidney disease: whom to screen, how often?
  19. Hypertension: which initial laboratory tests?
  20. Suspected heart failure: which NT-proBNP threshold rules it out?
  21. After venous thrombosis: test for inherited thrombophilia?

1. Can HbA1c be used to diagnose diabetes?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceNo: neither recommended nor reimbursed for screening or diagnosis; it is not a diagnostic criterion. [1, 2]
United StatesYes: screening and diagnosis (USPSTF 2021, grade B, age 35 to 70 with overweight or obesity), with a second confirmatory result if there are no symptoms. [3]
United KingdomYes, with a second confirmatory result if there are no symptoms; prediabetes between 6.0 and 6.4%. [4]
GermanyYes, with a second confirmatory result if there are no symptoms. [5]
AustraliaYes; with symptoms, a single abnormal glucose or HbA1c value is enough. [6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Listed to diagnose and monitor diabetes, including without a laboratory (handheld or small analyser, capillary blood; section I.b). [7]

Why they differ : Guideline and fee-schedule choice: in France, HbA1c is reserved for monitoring diabetes.

BioMG page : Diabetes: hyperglycaemia found (confirm, classify, spot the emergency)

Sources (7)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Parcours de soins du patient adulte vivant avec un diabète de type 2. Guide, validé par le Collège le 26 juin 2025.
  2. Haute Autorité de santé. Guide parcours de soins : diabète de type 2 de l'adulte. Guide complet, mars 2014.
  3. US Preventive Services Task Force. Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 24 août 2021 (grade B).
  4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Type 2 diabetes: prevention in people at high risk. Public health guideline PH38, 2012, mise à jour en 2017 (paragraphe sur l'HbA1c daté de 2026).
  5. Bundesärztekammer (BÄK), Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV), Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF). Nationale VersorgungsLeitlinie Typ-2-Diabetes, Langfassung, Version 3.0, 2023.
  6. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Diabetes Australia. Management of type 2 diabetes: a handbook for general practice. Novembre 2024, mis à jour en août 2025 : chapitres « Defining and diagnosing type 2 diabetes » et « Assessment of the person with type 2 diabetes ».
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

2. Gestational diabetes: screen every pregnant woman, or only those at risk?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceTargeted: 75 g OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks in women with at least one risk factor. [1]
United StatesUniversal from 24 weeks (USPSTF 2021, grade B), usually in two steps. [2]
GermanyUniversal: non-fasting 50 g challenge, then 75 g OGTT if the 1-hour glucose reaches 1.35 g/L; same diagnostic thresholds as France. [3]
AustraliaUniversal (75 g OGTT); thresholds raised in 2025 to 5.3, 10.6 and 9.0 mmol/L. [4]
United KingdomTargeted, on other criteria (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², previous baby of 4.5 kg or more, high-prevalence origin, no age criterion); thresholds 5.6 mmol/L fasting and 7.8 mmol/L at 2 hours, judged more cost-effective. [5, 6]
BelgiumThe KCE considers screening between 24 and 28 weeks in women without risk factors too (weak recommendation). [7]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Blood glucose (meter, capillary blood) is listed without a laboratory to diagnose diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (section I.b). [8]

Why they differ : Choice of screening strategy and cost-effectiveness; thresholds set by expert consensus.

BioMG page : Gestational diabetes: screening and postpartum follow-up

Sources (8)
  1. Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français (CNGOF), Société francophone du diabète (SFD). Le diabète gestationnel. Recommandations pour la pratique clinique (texte court), décembre 2010.
  2. US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Gestational Diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(6):531-538 (recommandation finale du 10 août 2021).
  3. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA, Allemagne). Mutterschafts-Richtlinie, version du 21 septembre 2023, dernière modification du 16 juillet 2026, en vigueur depuis le 25 août 2026.
  4. Sweeting A, Hare MJL, Jersey SJ, Shub AL, Zinga J, Foged C, Hall RM, Wong T, Simmons D. Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2025 consensus recommendations for the screening, diagnosis and classification of gestational diabetes. Med J Aust. 2025;223(3):161-167.
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period. NICE guideline NG3, 25 février 2015, actualisée le 16 décembre 2020.
  6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health. Diabetes in pregnancy: methods, evidence and recommendations (guide complet de NG3), 2015.
  7. Centre fédéral d'expertise des soins de santé (KCE). Examens recommandés pendant la grossesse. KCE Report 248Bs, synthèse, Bruxelles, 2015.
  8. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

3. Toxoplasmosis: monthly serology in non-immune pregnant women?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceYes: serology at the first antenatal visit when there is no written proof of immunity (mandatory test), then every month in non-immune women. [1]
United KingdomNo screening: the UK NSC does not recommend it (false positives, uncertain effect of treatment on transmission). [2]
GermanyOnly if infection is suspected. [3]
BelgiumA single serology, not repeated monthly (KCE). [4]
CanadaThe SOGC advises against routine screening in low-risk women. [5]
SwitzerlandAbandoned about ten years ago, with no rise in congenital toxoplasmosis. [6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No toxoplasmosis test on the list. [7]

Why they differ : Evidence judged insufficient outside France; monthly serology is specific to France among the countries compared.

BioMG page : Pregnancy

Sources (7)
  1. Code de la santé publique, articles R2122-1, R2122-2 et R2122-3 (examens prénataux et postnatal obligatoires), version en vigueur (décret n° 2003-462 du 21 mai 2003).
  2. UK National Screening Committee. Toxoplasmosis : current recommendation (dernière revue en août 2016).
  3. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die ärztliche Betreuung während der Schwangerschaft und nach der Geburt (Mutterschafts-Richtlinie), version du 21 septembre 2023, dernière modification du 16 juillet 2026, en vigueur depuis le 25 août 2026.
  4. Centre fédéral d'expertise des soins de santé (KCE). Examens recommandés pendant la grossesse. KCE Report 248Bs, synthèse, Bruxelles, 2015.
  5. Paquet C, Yudin MH ; Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: prevention, screening, and treatment. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2013;35(1):78-81.
  6. Rudin C, Hirsch HH, Spaelti R, et al. Decline of seroprevalence and incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis despite changing prevention policy: three decades of cord-blood screening in North-western Switzerland. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2018;37(11):1087-1092.
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

4. Group B streptococcus: routine swab in late pregnancy?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceYes, offered to all women (vaginal swab between 35 and 38 weeks). [1]
United KingdomNo: carriage can change before delivery and screening would give antibiotics to many women who do not need them (UK NSC 2017); results of the GBS3 trial awaited. [2]
GermanyNot part of the antenatal care rules. [3]
BelgiumVaginal and rectal swab between 35 and 37 weeks. [4]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No specific test on the list; bacterial culture is listed among laboratory tests (section II.a). [5]

Why they differ : Evidence weighed differently.

BioMG page : Pregnancy

Sources (5)
  1. Suivi et orientation des femmes enceintes en fonction des situations à risque identifiées
  2. UK National Screening Committee. Group B streptococcus : current recommendation (dernière revue en mars 2017).
  3. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die ärztliche Betreuung während der Schwangerschaft und nach der Geburt (Mutterschafts-Richtlinie), version du 21 septembre 2023, dernière modification du 16 juillet 2026, en vigueur depuis le 25 août 2026.
  4. Centre fédéral d'expertise des soins de santé (KCE). Examens recommandés pendant la grossesse. KCE Report 248Bs, synthèse, Bruxelles, 2015.
  5. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

5. TSH in every pregnant woman, or targeted screening?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceTargeted, on a list of risk factors (HAS); TSH alone for screening. [1]
United StatesTargeted: the ATA (2017) finds the evidence insufficient for universal screening; similar list, with age > 30 and at least 2 previous pregnancies. [2]
NetherlandsLimited (2025) to a thyroid history, neck surgery or irradiation, known anti-TPO antibodies, lithium, amiodarone and recent iodinated contrast. [3]
AustraliaLimited (2022) to a thyroid history, type 1 diabetes and symptoms; TSH and free T4 together; do not screen for subclinical hypothyroidism or anti-TPO (grade A). [4]
United KingdomNo TSH in the NICE antenatal tests. [5]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)TSH listed for laboratories (section II.b); for screening, only in newborns and in high-risk conditions such as type 1 diabetes. [6]

Why they differ : All target, but with different lists; the aim is sometimes limited to overt hypothyroidism.

BioMG page : Thyroid and pregnancy (targeted screening, treated hypothyroidism, Graves' disease)

Sources (6)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Prise en charge des hypothyroïdies chez l’adulte (population générale, personnes âgées de plus de 65 ans, femmes enceintes). Recommandation de bonne pratique, validée le 15 décembre 2022 (mise en ligne mars 2023), chapitres 10 et 11.
  2. Alexander EK, Pearce EN, Brent GA, et al. 2017 Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy and the Postpartum. Thyroid. 2017;27(3):315-389.
  3. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie (NVOG). Richtlijn Schildklierfunctiestoornissen, chapitre « Schildklierfunctiestoornissen voor, tijdens en na de zwangerschap » : dépistage et TRAb (11/04/2025), intervalle de référence de la TSH (13/05/2022), autres modules (2013, validité évaluée le 30/08/2021). Richtlijnendatabase.
  4. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). Subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism in pregnancy (C-Obs 46). Mars 2022.
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Antenatal care. NICE guideline NG201, 19 août 2021.
  6. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

6. Vitamin D: when should it be measured?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceOnly in six indications covered by national health insurance. [1]
United StatesThe USPSTF (2021) finds the evidence insufficient to recommend for or against screening for deficiency in asymptomatic adults (I). [2]
United KingdomNICE rules out routine testing without symptoms, very high risk or a clinical reason (osteomalacia, fall); NOGG (2024) includes it in the routine work-up of osteoporosis or fragility fracture. [3, 4]
AustraliaHas reimbursed a broader list since 2014 (osteoporosis, raised alkaline phosphatase, malabsorption, very dark skin or severe lack of sun, chronic kidney disease, etc.). [5]
GermanyThe DVO (2023) reserves 25-hydroxyvitamin D for selected cases in the osteoporosis work-up. [6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No vitamin D test on the list. [7]

Why they differ : Fee-schedule choice: no study compares supplementation guided by testing with supplementation without testing.

BioMG page : Vitamin D (25-OH-D): when to test it, and when not to

Sources (7)
  1. Assurance maladie. Nomenclature des actes de biologie médicale (NABM), version 105 : actes 1139 (25-OH-vitamine D) et 0983 (parathormone).
  2. US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 13 avril 2021 (I).
  3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups. Public health guideline PH56, 2014, mise à jour en 2017.
  4. National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (Royaume-Uni). NOGG 2024: Clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Mise à jour de décembre 2024.
  5. Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care. Medicare Benefits Schedule, item 66833 (25-hydroxyvitamin D), en vigueur depuis le 1er novembre 2014.
  6. Dachverband Osteologie (DVO, Allemagne). Kurzfassung der DVO-Leitlinie 2023 zur Prophylaxe, Diagnostik und Therapie der Osteoporose bei postmenopausalen Frauen und bei Männern, version 2.2 (avril 2024).
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

7. PSA: screen for prostate cancer?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceNo routine screening (HAS); PSA only after information and shared decision, with a digital rectal examination (AFU). [1, 2]
United StatesIndividual decision for men aged 55 to 69 after discussion (grade C); not recommended from age 70 (grade D); update in progress. [3]
United KingdomNo population screening; since March 2026, PSA every 2 years from 45 to 61 for carriers of a BRCA2 variant with a family history. [4, 5]
GermanyWithout digital rectal examination (2025, grade A); counselling from 45; PSA every 5 years if < 1.5 ng/mL, every 2 years from 1.5 to 2.99 ng/mL. [6]
AustraliaWithout digital rectal examination in primary care (2026); every 2 years from 50 to 69, from 45 at high risk; no testing if life expectancy is 7 years or less. [7]
EuropeThe Council of the European Union invites a stepwise evaluation of an organised programme combining PSA and MRI. [8]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)PSA listed for laboratories for the diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of prostate cancer, not for screening (section II.b). [9]

Why they differ : The balance between benefit and overdiagnosis is weighed differently; digital rectal examination is dropped where it is judged to cause false negatives and false positives.

BioMG page : PSA: request for prostate cancer screening and raised PSA

Sources (9)
  1. Institut national du cancer (INCa), après avis de la HAS. Éléments d'information destinés aux médecins concernant la première prescription du PSA chez l'homme asymptomatique. Mars 2016.
  2. Haute Autorité de santé. Cancer de la prostate : identification des facteurs de risque et pertinence d'un dépistage par dosage de l'antigène spécifique prostatique (PSA) de populations d'hommes à haut risque ? Rapport d'orientation, avril 2012 ; et document « Questions/Réponses » du 4 avril 2012.
  3. US Preventive Services Task Force. Prostate Cancer: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 8 mai 2018 (recommandations C et D ; mise à jour en cours).
  4. UK National Screening Committee. Prostate cancer : recommandation de dépistage, dernière revue de mars 2026.
  5. National Health Service (Royaume-Uni). PSA test. Page revue le 2 septembre 2024.
  6. Leitlinienprogramm Onkologie (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, Deutsche Krebshilfe, AWMF). S3-Leitlinie Prostatakarzinom, Langversion 8.0, juillet 2025, registre AWMF 043-022OL, chapitre 4.1 « Früherkennung ».
  7. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. 2026 Guidelines for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer in Australia : Summary of recommendations. 18 mai 2026 (recommandations approuvées par le NHMRC).
  8. Conseil de l'Union européenne. Recommandation sur le renforcement de la prévention par la détection précoce : une nouvelle approche de l'UE en matière de dépistage du cancer. Document 14770/22, 29 novembre 2022, annexe.
  9. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

8. Colorectal cancer screening: ages, interval, FIT threshold

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceFaecal immunochemical test (FIT) every 2 years from 50 to 74; positivity threshold about 30 µg/g. [1, 2]
United KingdomFIT every 2 years from 50 to 74; threshold 80 µg/g in Scotland and Wales, 120 µg/g in England (lowered to 80 by March 2028); with symptoms, quantitative FIT in primary care and referral from 10 µg/g. [3, 4, 5]
United StatesUSPSTF: from 45 to 75 (A from 50 to 75, B from 45 to 49), annual FIT or other tests; the ACP suggests every 2 years from 50 to 75, not before 50. [6, 7]
GermanyFrom 50, with no upper age limit: FIT every 2 years or colonoscopy. [8, 9]
NetherlandsFrom 55 to 75; threshold 47 µg/g (2016 figure). [10]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)FIT listed for laboratories to screen for colorectal cancer (section II.b). [11]

Why they differ : The threshold trades detection against the number of colonoscopies; benefit judged uncertain before 50 by the ACP.

BioMG page : Colorectal cancer screening (faecal immunochemical test)

Sources (11)
  1. Institut national du cancer. Le dépistage du cancer colorectal en pratique (espace grand public), mis à jour le 18 mars 2026, consulté le 11 octobre 2026.
  2. Institut national du cancer. L'essentiel sur le test immunologique (espace professionnels de santé), mis à jour le 28 septembre 2022, consulté le 11 octobre 2026.
  3. UK National Screening Committee. Bowel cancer: UK NSC screening recommendation (dernière revue, août 2018 ; arrêt de la sigmoïdoscopie, juillet 2020).
  4. Strachan H, Maclean B. More sensitive bowel cancer screening test implemented in line with UK NSC recommendation. UK National Screening Committee blog, 26 janvier 2026.
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral. NICE guideline NG12, 2015, mise à jour du 15 avril 2026, recommandations 1.3.1 à 1.3.3 (Royaume-Uni).
  6. Qaseem A, Harrod CS, Crandall CJ, Wilt TJ. Screening for Colorectal Cancer in Asymptomatic Average-Risk Adults: A Guidance Statement From the American College of Physicians (Version 2). Ann Intern Med. 2023;176(8):1092-1100.
  7. US Preventive Services Task Force. Colorectal Cancer: Screening. Final recommendation statement, 18 mai 2021 (grades A, B et C).
  8. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss. Richtlinie für organisierte Krebsfrüherkennungsprogramme (oKFE-RL), partie spéciale sur le cancer colorectal, version du 20 août 2026, en vigueur le 2 octobre 2026 (Allemagne).
  9. Leitlinienprogramm Onkologie (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, Deutsche Krebshilfe, AWMF). S3-Leitlinie Kolorektales Karzinom, Langversion 3.2, mars 2026, recommandations 4.1 et 4.2 et tableau des groupes à risque (Allemagne).
  10. Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu. Bevolkingsonderzoek darmkanker, page pour les professionnels (consultée le 30/10/2026) ; Monitor bevolkingsonderzoek darmkanker 2016 (Pays-Bas).
  11. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

9. Cervical screening: cytology or HPV test, from what age?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceCytology from 25 to 29; HPV test every 5 years from 30 to 65; the HAS rules out HPV testing before 30 (transient infections, overtreatment). [1]
United KingdomHPV test from 25, every 5 years, up to 64. [2]
AustraliaHPV test from 25, every 5 years, up to 74; self-sampling open to all. [3]
United StatesCytology every 3 years from 21 to 29; from 30 to 65, cytology every 3 years, HPV test or co-test every 5 years (HPV alone preferred in the 2024 draft). [4, 5]
GermanyAnnual cytology from 20 to 34; cytology and HPV co-test every 3 years from 35. [6]
NetherlandsHPV test at 30, 35, 40, 50 and 60; self-sampling open to all. [7]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)HPV nucleic acid test listed for laboratories for cervical cancer screening (section II.b). [8]

Why they differ : Different trade-off between test sensitivity and overtreatment; each programme's own organisation.

BioMG page : Cervical cancer screening (cytology, HPV test) and management after an abnormal result

Sources (8)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Évaluation de la recherche des papillomavirus humains (HPV) en dépistage primaire des lésions précancéreuses et cancéreuses du col de l'utérus et de la place du double immuno-marquage p16/Ki67. Synthèse de la recommandation en santé publique, juillet 2019.
  2. NHS England. Cervical screening: programme overview (mise à jour du 18 mai 2026 ; intervalle de 5 ans depuis le 1er juillet 2025) ; Cervical screening: care pathway.
  3. Cancer Council Australia, National Cervical Screening Program. Cervical screening: quick reference guide (2025).
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force. Cervical Cancer: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 21 août 2018 (actualisation en cours).
  5. US Preventive Services Task Force. Cervical Cancer: Screening. Draft Recommendation Statement, 10 décembre 2024 (projet, non définitif au 30/10/2026).
  6. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA, Allemagne). Richtlinie für organisierte Krebsfrüherkennungsprogramme (oKFE-RL), partie III : programme de dépistage du cancer du col, version du 20/08/2026, en vigueur le 02/10/2026.
  7. Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM, Pays-Bas). Bevolkingsonderzoek baarmoederhalskanker, professionals : Hoe verloopt screening (mise à jour du 8 janvier 2026) et Uitnodigingsschema.
  8. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

10. Hepatitis B and C: test every adult once?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceHepatitis C: targeted screening, as the HAS considers the efficiency of universal screening unproven. Hepatitis B: targeted, with three markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc). [1, 2, 3]
United StatesHepatitis C once in every adult aged 18 to 79 (USPSTF 2020, grade B), in a country where chronic infection affects about 1% of the population; hepatitis B: three markers once in every adult (CDC 2023), targeted HBsAg screening for the USPSTF (2020, grade B). [3, 4, 5]
GermanyOne-off screening for hepatitis B (HBsAg) and hepatitis C (antibodies) in the health check available from 35. [6]
United KingdomHepatitis B: NICE targets people born or brought up in a country with a prevalence of at least 2%; the BASHH (2026) offers HBsAg once to anyone attending sexual health services. Hepatitis C: targeted on risk factors. [7, 8]
AustraliaNo hepatitis C in STI screening without a risk factor. [9]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies listed without a laboratory, as rapid tests (section I.b). [10]

Why they differ : Different epidemiology (injecting drug use in the United States) and cost-effectiveness choices.

BioMG page : Tests after age 50

Sources (10)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Évaluation des stratégies de dépistage des personnes infectées par le virus de l’hépatite C (VHC), volet 1 : efficience des stratégies de dépistage. 2019.
  2. Haute Autorité de santé, Conseil national du sida et des hépatites virales (CNS), ANRS | Maladies infectieuses émergentes. Recommandations de prise en charge des personnes infectées chroniquement par le virus de l'hépatite B. Recommandation de bonne pratique (label HAS), validée par le Collège le 21 septembre 2023.
  3. Conners EE, Panagiotakopoulos L, Hofmeister MG, et al. Screening and Testing for Hepatitis B Virus Infection: CDC Recommendations — United States, 2023. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2023;72(1):1-25.
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force. Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 2 mars 2020 (grade B).
  5. US Preventive Services Task Force. Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 15 décembre 2020 (grade B).
  6. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA, Allemagne). Richtlinie über die Gesundheitsuntersuchungen zur Früherkennung von Krankheiten (Gesundheitsuntersuchungs-Richtlinie), version du 19 décembre 2019, modifiée le 20 novembre 2020, en vigueur depuis le 12 février 2021.
  7. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Hepatitis B and C testing: people at risk of infection. Public health guideline PH43, 12 décembre 2012, mise à jour le 1er mars 2013.
  8. Garvey L, Bhagani S, Kulasegaram R, et al. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) guidelines on the management of viral hepatitis 2026. Int J STD AIDS. 2026 (publication en ligne).
  9. Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). Australian STI Management Guidelines for Use in Primary Care : Standard Asymptomatic Check-up. Page mise à jour le 30 juin 2026, consultée le 29 octobre 2026.
  10. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

11. STI screening without symptoms: who, which sites, with syphilis?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceChlamydia and gonorrhoea: routine screening of women aged 15 to 25 inclusive, targeted beyond; syphilis only for exposed people. [1, 2, 3]
United StatesChlamydia and gonorrhoea in every sexually active woman aged 24 or under and older women at increased risk (grade B); insufficient evidence in men (I); syphilis only for exposed people (grade A). [4, 5]
United KingdomHIV and syphilis serology with every screen; three sites in every man who has sex with men; once a year and at each change of partner, every 3 months if at high risk. [6]
AustraliaSyphilis serology with every screen; no routine throat or anal swabs in women. [7]
GermanyChlamydia tested in all pregnant women, by PCR on urine. [8]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Chlamydia and gonorrhoea nucleic acid test in laboratories (section II.b); HIV and syphilis rapid tests without a laboratory (section I.b). [9]

Why they differ : How screening is organised.

BioMG page : Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Sources (9)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Réévaluation de la stratégie de dépistage des infections à Chlamydia trachomatis. Recommandation en santé publique, mise en ligne le 23 octobre 2018.
  2. Phung B-C. Recommandations de dépistage des IST en France. Séminaire Santé sexuelle, SMIT Bichat, 24 septembre 2025 (diaporama hébergé par la SPILF ; reprend les recommandations HAS de 2009, 2011, 2017 et 2018 et les données de Santé publique France 2022).
  3. Haute Autorité de santé. Évaluation a priori du dépistage de la syphilis en France. Recommandation en santé publique, argumentaire, 2007.
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(10):949-956.
  5. US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Syphilis Infection in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;328(12):1243-1249.
  6. Coleman H, Samuel I, Soni S, et al. BASHH Summary Guidance on Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2023. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (Royaume-Uni), 2023.
  7. Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). Australian STI Management Guidelines for Use in Primary Care : Standard Asymptomatic Check-up. Page mise à jour le 30 juin 2026, consultée le 29 octobre 2026.
  8. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die ärztliche Betreuung während der Schwangerschaft und nach der Geburt (Mutterschafts-Richtlinie), version du 21 septembre 2023, dernière modification du 16 juillet 2026, en vigueur depuis le 25 août 2026.
  9. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

12. Adult health check: which blood tests?

CountryWhat is recommended
France"Mon bilan prévention" (ages 45-50, 60-65 and 70-75) is an interview, with no standard blood tests. [1]
United KingdomThe NHS Health Check invites people aged 40 to 74 without known cardiovascular or kidney disease, diabetes or hypertension every 5 years for a cholesterol check, sometimes with blood glucose. [2]
GermanyFrom 35 and every 3 years: lipid profile, fasting glucose, urine dipstick, and one-off hepatitis B and C screening. [3]
United StatesHIV from 15 to 65 (grade A), hepatitis C once from 18 to 79 (grade B), prediabetes and diabetes from 35 to 70 with overweight or obesity (grade B). [4, 5, 6]
BelgiumLipids after 50, glucose after 65; creatinine and proteinuria for at-risk groups. [7]
SwitzerlandStop lipid testing after 75 in primary prevention. [8]
CanadaNo laboratory screening for diabetes if a validated calculator (FINDRISC, CANRISK) rates the risk low or moderate; HbA1c every 3 to 5 years if the risk is high, every year if very high. [9]

Why they differ : Health-system organisation: organised programmes in England and Germany, a prevention interview in France.

BioMG page : Tests after age 50

Sources (9)
  1. Assurance maladie (ameli.fr). « Mon bilan prévention » entre 45 et 50 ans, un temps d'échange dédié à la prévention en santé. Page mise à jour le 29 septembre 2026 (pages 60-65 ans identiques sur ces points).
  2. NHS (nhs.uk). NHS Health Check. Page relue le 14 août 2023.
  3. Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA, Allemagne). Richtlinie über die Gesundheitsuntersuchungen zur Früherkennung von Krankheiten (Gesundheitsuntersuchungs-Richtlinie), version du 19 décembre 2019, modifiée le 20 novembre 2020, en vigueur depuis le 12 février 2021.
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 11 juin 2019 (grade A).
  5. US Preventive Services Task Force. Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 2 mars 2020 (grade B).
  6. US Preventive Services Task Force. Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 24 août 2021 (grade B).
  7. INAMI (Belgique). Nomenclature des prestations de santé, article 2 (consultations, visites et avis) : gestion du dossier médical global (prestation 102771), contenu préventif. Version en vigueur au 1er mars 2022 (A.R. 15.12.2021).
  8. Société suisse de médecine interne générale (SSMIG), smarter medicine. Liste Top 5 médecine interne générale ambulatoire (2021).
  9. Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Pottie K, et al.). Recommendations on screening for type 2 diabetes in adults. CMAJ 2012;184(15):1687-96.

13. Lipoprotein(a): one test in a lifetime for everyone?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceThe 2026 French consensus recommends it at least once in certain situations (premature coronary disease, familial hypercholesterolaemia, family history of premature atheroma, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, etc.); not reimbursed. [1]
EuropeThe ESC/EAS proposes measuring it at least once in every adult, to identify Lp(a) > 180 mg/dL (> 430 nmol/L). [2, 3]
United KingdomThe UK cardiovascular risk guideline does not mention Lp(a). [4]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No Lp(a) on the list; the lipid profile is listed for laboratories (section II.b). [5]

Why they differ : Topic not covered by NICE; targeted in France, universal in the European guideline.

BioMG page : Dyslipidaemia

Sources (5)
  1. Bouillet B, Boulestreau R, Aboyans V, et al. Management of dyslipidemia in adults. A consensus statement from the French Society of Endocrinology (SFE), the French-speaking Diabetes Society (SFD), the New French-speaking Atherosclerosis Society (NSFA) and the French Society of Cardiology (SFC). Diabetes Metab 2026;52:101725 (publication identique : Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2026;119(6-7):507-532 ; Ann Endocrinol 2025, doi 10.1016/j.ando.2025.102471).
  2. Mach F, Koskinas KC, Roeters van Lennep JE, Tokgözoğlu L, Badimon L, Baigent C, et al. 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J 2025;46(42):4359-4378 (publication simultanée : Atherosclerosis 2025;409:120479).
  3. Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, Koskinas KC, Casula M, Badimon L, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. Eur Heart J 2020;41(1):111-188 (publication simultanée : Atherosclerosis 2019;290:140-205, PMID 31591002).
  4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification. NICE guideline NG238, publiée le 14 décembre 2023 (recommandations 1.4.3, 1.4.5, 1.5.5, 1.11.9 et 1.11.10, recommandation sur les CPK de la section 1.11, définition du bilan lipidique complet).
  5. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

14. Mildly raised TSH: when to repeat, are anti-TPO antibodies needed?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceRepeat TSH at 6 to 12 weeks; anti-TPO after the diagnosis, for the cause and the risk of progression. [1]
United KingdomTwo TSH tests 3 months apart before treating subclinical hypothyroidism; anti-TPO once only in adults. [2]
United StatesThe USPSTF finds the evidence insufficient to screen for thyroid dysfunction in asymptomatic non-pregnant adults (2015); no T3 routinely. [3, 4]
CanadaAvoid routine anti-TPO testing, which rarely changes management (Choosing Wisely Canada). [5]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)TSH listed for laboratories; for screening, only in newborns and high-risk conditions (section II.b). [6]

Why they differ : Little data: intervals and the role of antibodies rest mainly on expert opinion.

BioMG page : Hypothyroidism

Sources (6)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Prise en charge des hypothyroïdies chez l'adulte. Recommandation de bonne pratique, validée en décembre 2022 (mise en ligne en mars 2023) ; elle actualise la recommandation « Hypothyroïdies frustes chez l'adulte » de 2007.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Thyroid disease: assessment and management. NICE guideline NG145, publiée le 20 novembre 2019, mise à jour le 12 octobre 2023 (recommandations 1.2.8 à 1.2.10, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.4.3, 1.4.4, 1.5.3, 1.5.7, 1.5.8 et 1.5.10, et leur justification).
  3. US Preventive Services Task Force. Thyroid Dysfunction: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 24 mars 2015 (recommandation I ; veille bibliographique de mai 2024 sans changement).
  4. Wilson SA, Stem LA, Bruehlman RD. Hypothyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(10):605-613.
  5. Choisir avec soin (Canada), Société canadienne d'endocrinologie et de métabolisme. Endocrinologie et métabolisme : recommandations, dernière mise à jour avril 2026, consulté le 24 octobre 2026.
  6. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

15. Iron deficiency: which ferritin threshold, what follow-up?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceFerritin < 15 µg/L: no stores; < 30 µg/L: low stores; in anaemic patients, threshold of 45 µg/L. Follow-up ferritin optional after treatment. [1, 2]
GermanyGrowing consensus for a lower limit of 30 µg/L in adults of either sex; at least 50 µg/L desirable in women of childbearing age; FBC and ferritin every 3 months for about a year. [3]
United KingdomThe BSG finds the data insufficient for routine ferritin monitoring, and asks for coeliac serology in the initial work-up of every iron-deficiency anaemia. [2]
United StatesThe AGA recommends the 45 µg/L threshold rather than 15; coeliac serology only if the disease is plausible. [4]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Iron studies (iron, ferritin, transferrin) listed for laboratories (section II.a); haemoglobin without a laboratory (section I.a). [5]

Why they differ : A numerical treatment target in Germany; data judged insufficient in the United Kingdom.

BioMG page : Iron deficiency (low ferritin, with or without anaemia): confirm and look for the cause

Sources (5)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé. Choix des examens du métabolisme du fer en cas de suspicion de carence en fer. Rapport d'évaluation, texte court. Mars 2011 (validé par le Collège en mai 2011).
  2. Snook J, Bhala N, Beales ILP, Cannings D, Kightley C, Logan RP, et al. British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in adults. Gut. 2021;70(11):2030-51.
  3. Hastka J, Metzgeroth G, Gattermann N. Eisenmangel und Eisenmangelanämie. Leitlinie Onkopedia (DGHO, OeGHO, SGMO, SSH), Stand April 2025.
  4. Ko CW, Siddique SM, Patel A, Harris A, Sultan S, Altayar O, Falck-Ytter Y. AGA Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Gastrointestinal Evaluation of Iron Deficiency Anemia. Gastroenterology. 2020;159(3):1085-94.
  5. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

16. Vitamin B12 on metformin: test everyone?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceTesting for symptoms, periodic checks if there is a risk factor (SmPC). [1]
United StatesThe ADA suggests considering periodic testing in every patient on long-term metformin (grade B), and yearly monitoring after 4 years or with another risk factor. [2]
United KingdomTesting if deficiency is suspected; consider periodic monitoring in at-risk patients (medicines agency). [3]
GermanyFollows the UK advice. [4]
NetherlandsThe Dutch formulary matches the French SmPC. [5]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No vitamin B12 test on the list. [6]

Why they differ : A risk-targeted strategy in Europe, based on dose and duration of exposure in the United States.

BioMG page : Low vitamin B12 or suspected B12 deficiency (metformin, PPI, vegan diet, older person, pernicious anaemia)

Sources (6)
  1. ANSM, Base de données publique des médicaments. Résumé des caractéristiques du produit GLUCOPHAGE 500 mg (metformine), rubriques 4.4 et 4.8, fiche mise à jour le 29 septembre 2026, consultée le 12 octobre 2026.
  2. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes. 3. Prevention or Delay of Diabetes and Associated Comorbidities: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(Suppl 1):S50-S60.
  3. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (Royaume-Uni). Metformin and reduced vitamin B12 levels: new advice for monitoring patients at risk. Drug Safety Update, 20 juin 2022.
  4. Bundesärztekammer, Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, AWMF. Nationale VersorgungsLeitlinie Typ-2-Diabetes, 2023, chapitre 5 : Medikamentöse Therapie des Glukosestoffwechsels.
  5. Zorginstituut Nederland. Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas : metformine, rubrique « Waarschuwingen en voorzorgen ».
  6. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

17. Coeliac disease: which test, and is a biopsy needed in adults?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceOnly first-line test: IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase with total IgA; anti-endomysial antibodies reimbursed only in children. [1, 2]
United StatesThe USPSTF finds the evidence insufficient to screen asymptomatic people (2017); the ACG (2023) keeps duodenal biopsies in adults. [3, 4]
EuropeThe ESsCD (2025) accepts a diagnosis without biopsy in adults under 45 with a level of at least 10 times normal. [5]
United KingdomNICE adds IgA anti-endomysial antibodies in adolescents and adults with weakly positive anti-transglutaminase. [6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No coeliac serology on the list. [7]

Why they differ : Age limit for the no-biopsy route set by expert opinion; French reimbursement rule.

BioMG page : Coeliac disease: who to test, serology, follow-up on a gluten-free diet

Sources (7)
  1. Assurance maladie. Nomenclature des actes de biologie médicale (NABM), version 105 : actes 1828 et 1829 (anticorps anti-transglutaminase IgA et IgG), 1830 et 1831 (anticorps anti-endomysium), 1814 (IgA), 1139 (25-OH-vitamine D), 1181 (HLA classe II) ; absence d'acte pour les anticorps anti-gliadine déamidée.
  2. Haute Autorité de santé. Maladie cœliaque : diagnostic chez l'enfant et l'adulte. Recommandation de bonne pratique, validée par le Collège le 16 juillet 2026 (recommandations et arbres décisionnels pour le médecin de premier recours, adulte et enfant).
  3. US Preventive Services Task Force. Celiac Disease: Screening. Final Recommendation Statement, 28 mars 2017 (recommandation I).
  4. Rubio-Tapia A, Hill ID, Semrad C, Kelly CP, Greer KB, Limketkai BN, Lebwohl B. American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines Update: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(1):59-76.
  5. Al-Toma A, Zingone F, Branchi F, Schiepatti A, Malamut G, Canova C, et al. European Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease 2025 Updated Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Coeliac Disease in Adults. United European Gastroenterol J. 2025;13(10):1855-1886.
  6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management. NICE guideline NG20, septembre 2015 ; chapitre Recommendations.
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

18. Chronic kidney disease: whom to screen, how often?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceEvery year in at-risk patients: serum creatinine with eGFR (CKD-EPI) and urine albumin:creatinine ratio. [1]
United KingdomeGFR and ACR in at-risk adults, not counting age, sex, ethnicity or obesity alone; recurrent stones, prostatic enlargement and gout count. [2]
AustraliaYearly with diabetes or hypertension, every 2 years with cardiovascular disease, family history, obesity or smoking, once from 60, yearly from 18 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. [3]
United StatesIn 2012 the USPSTF found the evidence insufficient (recommendation declared out of date, being updated); in 2013 the ACP advised against screening without risk factors. [4, 5]
CanadaDiabetes Canada defines kidney disease from an ACR ≥ 2.0 mg/mmol (3 mg/mmol in France). [6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Creatinine (with ACR) for laboratories (section II.a); urine albumin by dipstick without a laboratory (section I.a). [7]

Why they differ : Different epidemiology (Indigenous populations in Australia); risk factors defined differently.

BioMG page : Chronic kidney disease

Sources (7)
  1. Guide du parcours de soins – Maladie rénale chronique de l’adulte (MRC)
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Chronic kidney disease: assessment and management. NICE guideline NG203, publiée le 25 août 2021, mise à jour le 24 novembre 2021 (recommandations 1.1.20 à 1.1.24, 1.2.5, 1.3.4 et tableau 2, 1.5.5, 1.6.14, 1.6.18, 1.6.19, 1.7.3, 1.7.4, 1.12.1, 1.12.2 et 1.12.8, et leur justification).
  3. Kidney Health Australia. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Management in Primary Care. 5e édition. Melbourne : Kidney Health Australia ; 2024 (manuel destiné à la médecine générale).
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force (Moyer VA). Screening for chronic kidney disease: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157(8):567-70 (recommandation I ; déclarée périmée sur le site de l’USPSTF, mise à jour en cours, page consultée le 29/10/2026).
  5. Qaseem A, Hopkins RH Jr, Sweet DE, Starkey M, Shekelle P ; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Screening, monitoring, and treatment of stage 1 to 3 chronic kidney disease: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(12):835-47.
  6. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee; McFarlane P, Cherney D, Gilbert RE, Senior P. Chronic Kidney Disease in Diabetes. Can J Diabetes 2018;42(Suppl 1):S201-S209.
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

19. Hypertension: which initial laboratory tests?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceProteinuria testing (HAS); fasting glucose, as HbA1c is not reimbursed outside diabetes monitoring. [1, 2]
United KingdomUrine albumin:creatinine ratio and haematuria testing in every patient with hypertension; HbA1c instead of fasting glucose. [3]
GermanyACR and haematuria testing; HbA1c accepted in addition; tests based on expert consensus. [4]
United StatesACR and haematuria, plus FBC, calcium and TSH (as in the ESC guideline); aldosterone and renin widened (sleep apnoea, hypokalaemia, adrenal incidentaloma, early family history); no urate. [5, 6]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)Creatinine for laboratories (section II.a); urine dipstick without a laboratory (section I.a). [7]

Why they differ : Tests based on expert opinion; HbA1c reimbursement rule in France.

BioMG page : Hypertension

Sources (7)
  1. Haute Autorité de santé, Société française d’hypertension artérielle. Prise en charge de l’hypertension artérielle de l’adulte. Fiche mémo, septembre 2016.
  2. Assurance maladie. Nomenclature des actes de biologie médicale (NABM), version 105 : acte 1577 (HbA1c).
  3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG136, publiée le 28 août 2019, mise à jour le 26 février 2026 : recommandations 1.3.3, 1.4.46 à 1.4.52 et revue annuelle.
  4. Bundesärztekammer, Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften. Nationale VersorgungsLeitlinie Hypertonie, version longue, version 1.0, 2023 (AWMF-Register-Nr. nvl-009).
  5. McEvoy JW, McCarthy CP, Bruno RM, et al. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Eur Heart J 2024;45(38):3912-4018.
  6. Cameron NA, Jones DW, Khan SS, Lloyd-Jones DM. Case-Based Applications of the 2025 AHA/ACC/Multispecialty High Blood Pressure Guideline. Hypertension. 2025;82(12):2055-2063 (article des auteurs de la recommandation AHA/ACC 2025, qui en reprend les recommandations et leurs niveaux de preuve).
  7. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

20. Suspected heart failure: which NT-proBNP threshold rules it out?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceDiagnosis very unlikely if BNP < 100 ng/L or NT-proBNP < 300 ng/L. [1]
EuropeOutside the acute setting, the ESC uses BNP < 35 ng/L and NT-proBNP < 125 ng/L; the 100 and 300 ng/L thresholds are for acute settings. [2, 3]
United KingdomNT-proBNP < 400 ng/L makes the diagnosis less likely; referral within 6 weeks between 400 and 2 000 ng/L, within 2 weeks above. [4]
United StatesScreening with BNP or NT-proBNP in at-risk patients, followed by team-based care with a cardiologist, considered useful (class 2a). [5]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No natriuretic peptide on the list; troponin is listed for laboratories (section II.b). [6]

Why they differ : The French thresholds come mainly from hospital studies, according to the German guideline.

BioMG page : Heart failure

Sources (6)
  1. GUIDE DU PARCOURS DE SOINS Insuffisance cardiaque
  2. McDonagh TA, Metra M, Adamo M, et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(36):3599-3726.
  3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Acute heart failure: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline CG187, octobre 2014, mise à jour 17 novembre 2021.
  4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Chronic heart failure in adults: diagnosis and management. Guideline NG106, septembre 2018, mise à jour 3 septembre 2025. Recommandations 1.2, 1.4.5-1.4.6, 1.7, 1.8.
  5. Heidenreich PA, Bozkurt B, Aguilar D, et al. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(17):e263-e421.
  6. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

21. After venous thrombosis: test for inherited thrombophilia?

CountryWhat is recommended
FranceThe GFHT routinely offers it before age 50 after a first unprovoked or minor-provoked proximal episode. [1]
United KingdomThe BSH (2022) does not recommend it routinely; NICE considers it only after an unprovoked episode, with an affected first-degree relative and a planned stop of anticoagulation. [2, 3]
NetherlandsNo testing: treatment duration does not depend on it. [4]
GermanyNo routine testing in pregnancy (DGHO, 2025). [5]
WHO (Essential Diagnostics List)No thrombophilia panel on the list; D-dimer and PT/INR are listed for laboratories (section II.a). [6]

Why they differ : Clinical usefulness debated, weak evidence.

BioMG page : Thrombophilia

Sources (6)
  1. Trillot N, Marlu R, Suchon P, Hanss M, Dargaud Y, Gruel Y, Morange P. Prescription et réalisation d'un bilan biologique à la recherche d'une thrombophilie : propositions du GFHT 2022. Partie I : aspects cliniques et prescription dans la maladie thromboembolique veineuse classique. Rev Francoph Hémost Thromb. 2022;4(3):133-52.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Venous thromboembolic diseases: diagnosis, management and thrombophilia testing. Guideline NG158, mars 2020, mise à jour 2 août 2023. Recommandations 1.9.
  3. Arachchillage DJ, Mackillop L, Chandratheva A, Motawani J, MacCallum P, Laffan M. Thrombophilia testing: A British Society for Haematology guideline. Br J Haematol. 2022;198(3):443-458.
  4. Nederlandse Internisten Vereniging (Pays-Bas ; recommandation autorisée aussi par la société de médecine générale NHG). Richtlijn Antitrombotisch beleid, module « Continueren antistolling na acute veneuze tromboembolie », publié le 24 novembre 2021.
  5. Eichinger-Hasenauer S, Hart C, Beyer-Westendorf J, Grießhammer M. Prävention und Management der schwangerschaftsassoziierten Thrombose. Onkopedia, recommandation de la DGHO (société allemande d'hématologie et d'oncologie, avec les sociétés autrichienne et suisse), état mai 2025.
  6. World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential in vitro diagnostics: report of the fourth meeting of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics, 2022 (including the fourth WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics). WHO Technical Report Series No. 1053. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

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