Five yearly checks for over 40s will save 650 lives a year, says government

Doctors in England will begin offering patients aged from 40 to 74 years a health check every five years from April, to identify and reduce their risk of vascular disease, the government has announced.

The checks will include questions about health, lifestyle, and family medical history, measurement of weight and height, and blood tests for cholesterol and, in some cases, glucose concentrations. These will be followed up with assessments telling patients their risk of vascular disease and what they can do to reduce it.

Modelling work by the Department of Health …