After a certain point in life, regular health checks become essential to ensure any conditions are monitored and treated before they get much worse. The NHS will often contact anyone aged between 40 and 74 for this routine service.
It will ensure that conditions that often go unnoticed until it’s too late are picked up and addressed. People will be told if they’re at higher risk of common conditions like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. During the check-up, you’ll discuss how to reduce your risk of these conditions.
The appointment usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes with a medical expert, who can be a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or healthcare assistant. It will include some general tests and measurements, as well as a discussion of different lifestyle aspects.
Who is eligible?
If you were born after 1985 and do not have a pre-existing health condition, you should be invited to an NHS Health Check by your GP or local council every five years. If you think you are eligible but have not been invited, contact your GP surgery to find out if they offer NHS Health Checks or contact your local council to find out where you can get an NHS Health Check in your area.
The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have any of the following pre-existing conditions:
- heart disease
- chronic kidney disease
- diabetes
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- atrial fibrillation
- transient ischaemic attack
- inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)
- heart failure
- peripheral arterial disease
- stroke
- currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
- previous checks have found that you have a 20% or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years
What do they look for?
The person conducting your check will take some measurements of your height, weight and waist. Then, you’ll have a blood test to check for high cholesterol.
This is often dubbed a ‘silent killer’ as it can present will little to no symptoms before anything serious happens – like a heart attack. The only way to know for sure that you have high cholesterol is through a blood test, which, in this case, can possibly prevent such a serious medical episode from happening.
The medic you have will also run a blood pressure test too. This can determine if your levels are too low or high – and both can cause differing health issues.
Low blood pressure (hypotension) is not usually a problem, although it can cause dizziness and fainting in some people. High blood pressure (hypertension) can increase your risk of developing serious problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, if it’s not treated.
You’ll talk through some general lifestyle points as well which should build up an overall picture of how your health is. It includes tracking things like smoking, drinking alcohol and exercise habits.
You’ll usually be told your NHS Health Check results during the appointment. It’s often broken down into:
- your body mass index (BMI) score
- your blood pressure
- your cholesterol levels
- your alcohol use score
- your physical activity assessment result
- your diabetes risk assessment
At the end of your NHS Health Check, you’ll have the chance to discuss your results and how to improve your scores, including where you can get support. You may also be referred to local services, such as stop smoking and physical activity services, to help you make any changes.
Benefits of the NHS Health Check
The NHS says: « The NHS Health Check aims to lower your risk of getting conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Many of the warning signs for these conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, do not have symptoms.
« The NHS Health Check helps you find out if you are at risk of getting these conditions so you can take action to improve your health. This could include making lifestyle changes or taking medicines.
« The risk factors assessed during the health check are often shared by other conditions, including type 2 diabetes, preventable cancers and respiratory illness. An NHS Health Check could help you to reduce your chance of getting these conditions too. Dementia and heart disease also share common risk factors. »
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