People who attend their mid-life health MOT are less likely to die in the decade after their check, a study suggests. The NHS Health Check is a 20-minute appointment offered to people aged 40 to 74 to assess their risk of certain medical conditions. People are offered tailored advice based on their results.
The new study examined data on more than 150,000 people in London between 2009 and 2023. Researchers wanted to assess the mortality risk among the 42,000 people who took up the offer of an NHS Health Check and compared the information to that of 116,000 who did not. People who attended one or more of the checks were predicted to have a 32% reduced risk of dying after 10 years, compared with people who never attended one of the checks.
Older people eligible for the check appeared to reap the most benefit from attending, with people aged 65 to 69 seeing a 43% reduced risk of death over the next decade, and those aged 70-74 seeing a 46% lower risk.
The authors wrote in the British Journal of General Practice: “This study suggests significant long-term survival benefit associated with the NHS Health Check, supporting continued investment in and optimisation of the programme to provide population health benefits.”
People over 65 are also told about dementia symptoms, and women are given menopause advice during the check-ups.
A health professional also takes a number of measurements, including weight, height and blood pressure, checks the patient’s cholesterol and asks for information about alcohol intake and physical activity levels.
Based on the information, people are given advice on exercise, smoking, diet, including salt intake, alcohol consumption and improving cholesterol levels.
If you’re aged 40 to 74 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.
Anyone who has not been invited and thinks they are eligible should contact their GP practice to request a check.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
