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NHS Health Checks

The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health. It can tell you whether you're at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as:

During the check-up you'll also discuss how to reduce your risk of these conditions and dementia.

If you're over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for.

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
  • 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
  • inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)

 

You should have regular check-ups if you have one of these conditions. Your care team will be able to give you more information

 

You will have your individual cardiovascular risk (risk of getting conditions related to the heart or circulation) calculated and explained to you.

While the cardiovascular risk levels vary from person to person, everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and some types of dementia.

At your NHS Health Check you will be given advice on how to prevent them. Your NHS Health Check can detect potential health problems before they do real damage.

An NHS Health Check takes about 20 minutes.

The health professional – often a nurse or healthcare assistant – will ask you some questions about your lifestyle and family history, measure your height and weight, and take your blood pressure and do a blood test. The blood test will be done either before the check with a blood sample from your arm, or at the check.

 

Your blood test results can show your chances of getting heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes.

If you're over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for.

 

You will then receive personalised advice to improve your risk. This could include talking about:

We offer appointments at Folly Lane medical centre and also have clinics available based at Orford Jubilee Hub

You'll be invited by the practice for a free NHS Health Check every 5 years if you're between 40 and 74 years of age and do not already have a pre-existing condition.

The health conditions picked up by the NHS Health Check are, when added together, the biggest cause of preventable deaths in the UK, with around 7 million people affected by them.

In its first 5 years, the NHS Health Check is estimated to have prevented 2,500 heart attacks or strokes. This is the result of people receiving treatment after their Health Check.

The latest research suggests:

  • for every 30 to 40 people having an NHS Health Check, 1 person is diagnosed with high blood pressure
  • for every 80 to 200 people having a Health Check, 1 person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
  • for every 6 to 10 people having an NHS Health Check, 1 person is identified as being at high risk of cardiovascular disease

 

You do not have to wait for an NHS Health Check to learn more about taking care of your health.

You can find information about most health conditions and how to have a healthier lifestyle on the NHS website. For example:

 

Read more about what happens at an NHS Health Check

Find out about the pros and cons of having an NHS Health Check

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