Making health and wellbeing a priority becomes all the more important as we reach certain milestones in life. It's no secret that our bodies often undergo significant changes after the age of 40. One invaluable step towards maintaining peace of mind and optimising our health is through regular health assessments or comprehensive full-body health MOTs.

Health assessments offer valuable insight into your current health status, identifying potential health issues, detecting early signs of illness, and promoting preventive measures.

We'll explore what a health check at 40 involves and how it plays an important part in personal wellness as we age.

What is a Health assessment?

A health assessment, also known as a full body MOT or health check, is a series of tests designed to examine your current health status and ensure early detection of health issues. Taking control of your health by undergoing regular health checks is key to monitoring your overall wellbeing and gives you peace of mind.

For those aged 40 and over, health assessment benefits include:

Early detection and diagnosis

Undergoing regular health assessments means that you have a greater chance of spotting potential health problems early on, allowing for timely intervention and treatment before these develop into more serious issues. This early detection can significantly improve health outcomes and quality of life.

Regular health assessments can alert you of these risk factors, and if you take appropriate action, can decrease your chances of disease development and improving your overall health.

Risk reduction

Identifying the risk factors for certain health conditions can empower you to take proactive steps towards risk reduction and even prevention. Regular health assessments can alert you of these risk factors, decreasing your chances of disease development and improving your overall health.

Monitoring overall health

Regular health checks give you a better idea of your overall health status. Health assessments can also be used for monitoring health changes over time. This process of monitoring helps develop preventative or treatment strategies as required.

Do You Get a Health Assessment at 40?

The risk of developing certain health conditions increases over the age of 40. Therefore many health providers, including the NHS, offer health assessments for those aged 40 and over.

If you’re aged between 40 to 74 and have not been diagnosed with a pre-existing health condition, your GP or local council will invite you to undergo an NHS health assessments . This is free and offered to eligible individuals once every 5 years.

Personalised health assessments for the over 40s are also offered by private health providers such as Bluecrest Wellness. The advantage of undergoing a private health assessments is that it can be arranged at a convenient time to suit you and can be tailored towards your specific health concerns.

Why You Should Consider Having a Health Assessment at 40?

Even though we might feel great at the moment, the risk of developing certain health conditions increases as we age. This means that being mindful of changes occurring in the body becomes all the more important. Identifying signs and symptoms early enough can halt the development of serious health conditions and enable you to take preventative measures or treatment.

Although you might feel fit and healthy, check ups for the over 40s can help spot the first signs of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Different types of cancer

What is Involved in a Health Assessment for Over 40s?

A full body health MOT for the over 40s examines various aspects of your health. In general, a health assessments for the over 40’s involves:

• Medical history review: Your medical history will be reviewed, including past illnesses, family medical history, and current medications.

• Physical examination: Undergoing a physical examination is a good way to assess your vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, and body mass index (BMI). Other body systems, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems, may also be examined as part of this process.

• Laboratory tests: Tests requiring blood, urine, or stool samples may be carried out to assess key health indicators such as cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, liver function, kidney function, and inflammation markers. There are a whole range of tests designed to address individual risk factors and health concerns.

• Assessments: Individuals aged 40 and over can also benefit from undergoing tests for specific health conditions. A women's health assessments at 40 may include mammograms for breast cancer, cervical cancer risk tests, and more. While men's health assessments at 40 typically involves prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests for prostate cancer, as well as tests for colorectal cancer.

• Lifestyle assessment: Lifestyle also contributes to health status. Factors such as diet, exercise habits, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and stress levels can impact your overall health. Recommendations for lifestyle changes may be offered in response to a lifestyle assessment in order to help overcome these barriers to overall health.

• Consultation with healthcare professionals: Following the assessment, individuals have an opportunity to discuss the results in more detail with a healthcare professional. This allows for personalised recommendations, health education, and goal-setting to address any identified health concerns or risk factors.

What are the Benefits of Getting a Health Assessment at 40?

As we age, health concerns should not be pushed aside, no matter how busy life gets. Scheduling regular health checks can help individuals to take charge of this aspect of life. Health assessments offer many benefits, from promoting preventive healthcare to enhancing quality of life. Here are some of the main benefits of getting a health assessments at 40.

• Early detection of health issues: A health assessment can help identify health problems at an early stage, allowing for prompt intervention and treatment before they escalate into more serious conditions.

• Preventive healthcare: A health assessment helps individuals take proactive steps toward preventing illness and promoting good health by assessing key health indicators and identifying risk factors.

• Personalised recommendations: Everyone is different and your health recommendations should reflect this. Personalised health recommendations tailored to your specific needs and risk factors will be given following a health assessment. These recommendations may include lifestyle modifications and treatment plans to improve health outcomes.

• Peace of mind: Health concerns can create feelings of anxiety and stress. A health assessment can offer reassurance and calm your worries about your general health and motivate you to maintain healthy habits and lifestyle choices.

• Take control: A health assessment puts you in control of your health by providing you with valuable insights into your overall health. With this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about your health and take proactive steps toward achieving your health goals.

• Improved health outcomes: By addressing health issues early and implementing preventive measures, you can potentially improve your health outcomes and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases in the future.

How Can a Health Assessment Help Improve Wellbeing?

Not only can health assessments lead to improved physical health, they can also boost mental wellbeing too. Health concerns can place undue stress and anxiety on individuals if not addressed properly. Ignoring symptoms or avoiding health assessments becomes all the more risky as we age. By scheduling in regular health assessments, this not only takes care of your physical health but also calms worries and gives you peace of mind.

If you consider yourself a relatively healthy individual, health checks can provide you with confirmation that your healthy lifestyle is guiding you in the right direction. Health checks for healthy individuals can be seen as a way of maintaining healthy habits and act as further motivation.

For individuals who recognise that they might need extra help and support with making better lifestyle choices, health assessments can help to identify risk factors and set achievable health goals. Overall, health assessments can help to assess and improve health status before any serious problems develop.

Are Health Assessments Effective at Improving Health for Those Over 40s?

Health assessments for individuals aged 40 and over are useful tools to help monitor health and improve health outcomes as we age. The way health assessments can effectively improve health is through highlighting specific risk factors, allowing you to take action and do something about it, preventing escalation.

Therefore, health assessments can help to alert you of any potential risk factors you might be facing and detect health conditions in the early stages. Timely intervention, through lifestyle and dietary changes or treatment, is the best chance individuals have of improved health outcomes.

Where Can I Get a Health Assessment?

If you are aged 40 or over and are considering a health assessment, you can opt for the NHS health check route or explore the wide range of personalised private health assessment services available out there.

NHS health checks

Once you have reached the age of 40 you can undergo an NHS health check. Eligible individuals aged 40 to 74 are offered these health checks every five years and are free of charge. The health checks include assessing risk of developing common health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Private health checks

Another convenient and easily accessible option is to go for private health assessments offered by providers like Bluecrest Wellness. These assessments offer more flexibility in terms of frequency, scheduling, and customisation of assessments based on your individual health needs and preferences.

Private health assessments include a wider range of tests and assessments beyond what the NHS offers to individuals over 40. Although private health assessments do incur a cost, at Bluecrest Wellness, our full body health assessments are affordably priced, making them a cost-effective alternative.

How Can Bluecrest Wellness Help?

Our private health MOTs are designed for busy people who want to take control of their health as they grow older. Our tests are quick, accurate, convenient and completely stress-free. No waiting for an appointment, non-invasive procedures, no embarrassing questions, no long travel times and no busy waiting rooms.

From evaluating lung, kidney, and liver function to assessing heart and lung health, our tests cover a wide range of vital indicators. Additionally, we conduct tests for cholesterol, diabetes (including an HbA1c blood test), protein, iron, and more, providing you with a thorough overview of your health.

Health Assessment Specialists carry out all tests in over 350 venues across the UK and Ireland, so you get accurate professional health assessments within 20 minutes of your home. Our full health assessments include all the tests you need to take a proactive approach to monitoring and improving your health.

Explore our full body MOTs and book your comprehensive health assessment online today.