A blood pressure warning has been issued to men born between 1952 and 1986, with a doctor stressing the importance of routine health assessments to prevent long-term conditions. Research shows men in the UK die, on average, almost four years earlier than women from largely preventable diseases.
Silent risk factors and early heart disease
Dr Hugh Coyne, private GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical in London, highlighted silent risk factors such as high blood pressure, or hypertension, which have no obvious symptoms yet secretly damage the body. The constant force of blood pushing against artery walls causes progressive damage, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
As reported by the Independent, Dr Coyne said: "High blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease is asymptomatic until it gets very, very late. Unfortunately, the first presentation of heart disease is often with a heart attack. That’s why young men need to engage with their long-term health."
NHS midlife MOT checks
Dr Coyne added that the NHS offers free "midlife MOT" checks to adults aged between 40 and 74 to check blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI and waist circumference. Each measure helps assess cardiovascular risk.
According to Dr Coyne, men get an earlier onset of coronary disease than women. He said men are more predisposed to being "apple shaped" - a medical term for carrying excess weight and fat around the stomach and waistline rather than around the hips and thighs.
He continued: "Visceral fat is linked with higher rates of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease, higher rates of certain cancers, and also fatty liver disease."
What the NHS Health Check involves
The NHS "midlife MOT" is a free check-up of the health of your heart and blood vessels. It can tell you whether you're at higher risk of getting health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a stroke.
The NHS said: "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 5 years. In some areas, you may be invited to do your NHS Health Check online. If you have not been invited for an NHS Health Check and think you're eligible, contact your GP practice."
The check takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes and usually includes measuring height and weight, measuring the waist, a blood pressure test, a cholesterol test, and possibly a blood sugar level test. You may also be asked to have a blood test.
The NHS continued: "You'll usually be told your NHS Health Check results during the appointment or soon afterwards. You'll be given your cardiovascular risk score, which shows your risk of developing a heart or circulation problem, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes or kidney disease, over the next 10 years."
The health check is important because many of the warning signs for these conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, do not have symptoms. The NHS added: "The NHS Health Check helps you find out if you are at risk of getting these conditions so you can take action to improve your health. This could include making lifestyle changes or taking medicines. The risk factors assessed during the health check are often shared by other conditions, including type 2 diabetes, preventable cancers and respiratory illness. An NHS Health Check could help you to reduce your chance of getting these conditions too."
