The NHS Health Check Explained: What Your Numbers Mean After 40

What is the NHS Health Check?

The NHS Health Check is often described as a midlife MOT. It is a free check-up designed to spot the early signs of four common but serious conditions — heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease — while there is still time to do something about them. It is offered to adults aged 40 to 74 who have not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions, once every five years.

Why 40? Because the risk factors for these conditions build up quietly over years, usually without symptoms. Many people feel completely well while their blood pressure or blood sugar is creeping up. The check is a chance to catch that early, when small changes make the biggest difference.

What happens during the check

The appointment takes around 20 to 30 minutes and is straightforward — no needles beyond a simple finger-prick blood test. Your pharmacist will:

• measure your height, weight, and waist to work out your BMI
• check your blood pressure
• test your cholesterol and blood sugar
• ask about your lifestyle — activity, diet, alcohol, and smoking — and your family history

At the end, these results are combined into a personalised cardiovascular risk score, and you get plain-language advice on what it means and what to do next.

What your numbers mean

Blood pressure

Given as two numbers, such as 120/80. As a general guide, around 120/80 is healthy, while readings consistently at or above 140/90 are considered high and may need treatment. High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, which is why measuring it is the only reliable way to know.

Cholesterol

We look at your total cholesterol and the balance between "good" HDL and "bad" non-HDL cholesterol. Too much of the harmful type can narrow your arteries over time. Cholesterol responds well to diet, activity, and — where needed — medication.

Blood sugar

This shows your risk of type 2 diabetes. A raised result can indicate prediabetes — a warning stage where blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet diabetic. Spotted here, it is very often reversible with lifestyle changes.

Weight and waist

Your BMI and waist measurement give a picture of whether excess weight is adding to your risk. Waist size matters because fat carried around the middle is more strongly linked to heart disease and diabetes.

Your cardiovascular risk score

All your results are pulled together into a single score that estimates your chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years, usually described as low, moderate, or high. A higher score does not mean something is wrong today — it is a forecast, and the whole point is that a forecast can be changed. Depending on your score, your pharmacist may suggest lifestyle steps, a follow-up, or a referral to your GP for further checks or treatment such as statins.

Small changes that lower your risk

The reassuring part of an NHS Health Check is how much is within your control. Cutting salt, moving more, eating more fruit and vegetables, keeping alcohol within 14 units a week, stopping smoking, and reaching a healthier weight all lower your risk — often enough to move you from a higher score to a lower one. You do not have to tackle everything at once; one change at a time is what sticks.

Getting your NHS Health Check in Gillingham

You may receive an invitation from your GP, but you do not have to wait for one — if you are aged 40 to 74 and have not had a check in the last five years, you can book an NHS Health Check with us directly. We carry it out in a private consultation room, explain every result as we go, and connect you with any follow-up support you need. If you just want your numbers checked, we also offer a free blood pressure check on its own.

Medway Pharmacy is on Canterbury Street in Gillingham, usually open 7:30am to 10pm seven days a week (excluding bank holidays). Get in touch to arrange your check at a time that suits you.