The full body MOT health check that everyone should have

When the realities of midlife set in, a set of expert-recommended tests can identify any risk factors to keep you healthier for longer.

Many of us will know the feeling: after sailing through life with a sense of invincibility since our teens, the realities of midlife suddenly start to crash in. Perhaps it’s a little stubborn extra weight that’s proving hard to shift, or achy joints when you first get out of bed. Maybe it’s people in the same age group grappling with health issues, or an awareness of problems that relatives had at similar ages.

It’s important to note, too, that not all concerns about the manifestations of ageing should be dismissed as vanity or shallow aesthetics: some physical changes may be indicators of things happening beneath the surface and are absolutely deserving of attention.

Either way, midlife is a time of change, and it’s prudent to keep an eye on what those changes are and what they mean.

Why should you get a health screening?

Some health conditions don’t make themselves apparent until it’s too late to treat them, so identifying risks early can arm you with the tools to better protect yourself. The NHS will invite you to have a full health check every five years from the ages of 40 to 74, if you do not have a pre-existing health condition. The aim is to evaluate your risk of developing cardiovascular and heart disease, as well as stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and certain kinds of dementia.

Dr Johannes Uys, a GP at Broadgate General Practice, says: “A health screen can help identify risk factors for future health problems. For example, while you might not be experiencing any issues yet, your weight might put you at risk of heart disease in the future. Health checks can even assess your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and other future conditions based on your genetics as well as your family history, thus preparing you for complications that might arise years down the line.”

Additionally, where a risk is identified, the NHS can offer advice on how to lower this and suggest lifestyle changes that will help you to have more control over your own health. The NHS Health Check was introduced in 2009, and figures indicate that in the first five years of the programme, 2,500 heart attacks or strokes were prevented because of the scheme.

The NHS also offers mammograms every three years to females aged 50 to 70 who are registered with a GP. According to Cancer Research UK, evidence suggests that screening and early detection reduces the number of UK deaths from breast cancer by about 1,300 each year, and that almost all women with an early diagnosis will survive for at least five years afterwards. Screenings for other health conditions, including bowel cancer and abdominal aortic aneurysm, are also offered by the NHS, depending on age and gender (both men and women aged 60 to 74 for the former, and men in the year they turn 65 for the latter).

It’s no secret that the NHS is, at times, overwhelmed by demand. But Dr William Wong, a consultant general practitioner at Fitzrovia Medical Clinic, says not to wait until you’re asked. “If you have not received an invitation, it is worth contacting your GP surgery,” he says. “If they cannot accommodate you at the moment, you could try asking at a pharmacy, as some of them do NHS Health Checks, or at least blood pressure readings.”

The super high-tech one: Preventicum Ultimate

Involves: Six hours of tests and consultations with a single doctor in a private suite, with same-day results.

Results include: MRI scans of your brain, heart, liver and the organs and arteries of the abdomen and pelvis, exercise stress echocardiogram, resting ECG, spirometry to measure lung function, ultrasound examinations of the abdomen, pelvis and thyroid, body composition (the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in your body), over 45 different blood tests, urine analysis, eye pressure and hearing tests.

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