When you reach 60, you’re more likely to develop chronic conditions and cancer and you’ll notice that friends start getting ill. A new survey shows that Britons now have a shorter lifespan, on average becoming unhealthy at 60.7 years – with Britons being unhealthier than most other countries, except the US. In these countries, getting routine blood tests and checkups is an annual occurrence to spot potential health conditions early.
You may have a friendly, forward-thinking GP who offers to check key markers of heart and metabolic health but, in many cases, you have to take things into your own hands and seek out these tests yourself.
As a scientist who co-founded a gut health company, and having had dozens of private tests myself, I would avoid most pricey doctors or Harley Street-type laboratories that cost thousands. However, there are providers, like Thriva and Randox Health, that offer at-home testing for less than £50, as well as having more reasonably-priced high street clinics.
I am a real advocate for people looking after themselves and understanding their own health status even if not ill. Here is a list of my top recommendations, starting with the easiest and most essential.
Blood sugar to check for type 2 diabetes
Price: Free on the NHS or from £20 online
Frequency: Once a year
It’s really common to be prediabetic or have early type 2 diabetes without knowing about it. It increases the risk of heart disease, and dementia so getting an idea of your glucose levels is important.
A HbA1c test (which stands for glycated haemoglobin) is the gold-standard, as it estimates the last three months’ glucose levels in your blood. It does this by detecting the accumulated amount of sugars that stick to your blood cells and, because blood cells live for 120 days, it reflects a much longer time frame than other tests, like your fasting blood sugar, which is impacted by a poor night’s sleep and what you ate for dinner the night before.
This test may be offered for free as part of the NHS “midlife MOT” for adults aged 40 to 74 every five years, or you can buy one online and send it away in the post for analysis.
Cholesterol to check your heart health
Price: Free on the NHS and in some pharmacies or online from £37
Frequency: Once a year
I recommend getting cholesterol levels checked annually. The result to focus on is your non-HDL cholesterol, which is the “bad” cholesterol that raises the risk of heart disease. You want that reading to be as low as possible.
The NHS offers this test for free once every five years for people aged 40 to 74, while some pharmacies will also check this for free. Alternatively, you can buy the test online or go private.
The results will determine whether you might be suitable for statins, which reduce your rate of heart disease and stroke between a quarter and a third and may have other advantages, like lowering levels of inflammation.
If you have the money and are worried about your heart health, you might want to get Apo A and Apo B tests (£40 each). These are proteins that stick to fat particles. Studies have shown that measuring levels of them is more accurate at predicting your risk of poor heart health than checking your cholesterol levels.
DEXA scan for bone density
Price: Free on the NHS or from £150
Frequency: Once a year
A DEXA scan is an optional extra. It’s a type of X-ray that calculates your bone density, which will detect whether you have osteoporosis.
They’re available on the NHS for over-50s who are at risk of osteoporosis. If you have had a fracture in the past or have a very strong family history of osteoporosis, it’s worth getting one.
