NHS Health Checks

The NHS Health Check is a sophisticated check of your heart health. The check is aimed at adults in England aged 40 to 74 and will involve measuring your blood pressure, pulse, height and weight and asking you some lifestyle questions. The aim is to help you to find out if you are at increased risk of certain serious health conditions.

Think of your NHS Health Check as being your "midlife MOT". It checks that some of your body's most important systems are all running smoothly.

Crucially, your NHS Health Check can detect potential problems before they do real damage. Everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and some forms of dementia. The good news is that these conditions can often be prevented.

Your NHS Health Check will assess your risk of developing these health problems and give you personalised advice on how to reduce it.

It's free of charge, including any follow-up tests or appointments.

For more information on the NHS Health Check and how to get one go to the NHS website.

Once you reach the age of 65 you'll continue to be invited to a variety of NHS health checks, and there will also be some new ones.

As you get older, you're more likely to develop conditions that are rare in younger people. Because of this, you'll be invited for some new screening and health tests, while the screening that began earlier in adulthood for different types of cancer will continue.

These are the screening tests that you may be offered once you reach the age of 65:-

• Cervical cancer screening
• Breast cancer screening
• Bowel cancer screening
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening

Find out more on the NHS website.