Attending NHS mid-life MOT linked to lower odds of early death
People who attended one or more of the checks were predicted to have a 32% reduced risk of dying after 10 years, compared with people who never attended one of the checks
People who attend their mid-life health MOT are less likely to die in the decade after their check, according to a study.
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The NHS Health Check is a 20-minute appointment offered to people aged 40 to 74 to check for their risk of certain medical conditions.
People are offered tailored advice based on their results.
The new study examined data on more than 150,000 people in London between 2009 and 2023.
Researchers wanted to assess the mortality risk among the 42,000 people who took up the offer of an NHS Health Check and compared the information to 116,000 who did not.
People who attended one or more of the checks were predicted to have a 32% reduced risk of dying after 10 years, compared with people who never attended one of the checks.
Older people eligible for the check appeared to reap the most benefit of attending, with people aged 65 to 69 seeing a 43% reduced risk of death in the next decade, and those aged 70-74 seeing a 46% lower odds.
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The authors wrote in the British Journal of General Practice: “This study suggests significant long-term survival benefit associated with the NHS Health Check, supporting continued investment in and optimisation of the programme to provide population health benefits.”
The NHS Health Check is a free assessment which tells people whether they are at risk of certain conditions including heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or stroke.
People over 65 will also be told about dementia symptoms and women will get menopause advice during the check-ups, which should be offered every five years.
A health professional will take a number of measurements including weight, height and blood pressure, check cholesterol and ask for information about alcohol intake and physical activity levels.
Based on the information, people are given advice on exercise, smoking, diet – including salt intake, alcohol consumption and improving cholesterol levels.
Corresponding author Jasjot Saund, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “People who attended at least one NHS Health Check were around a third less likely to die during the study period than those who did not.
“Importantly, those who attended were not simply the ‘worried well’ – attendees were more likely to be overweight and to have a family history of heart disease, suggesting the programme is reaching people with genuine risk factors, not just those who are already the healthiest.
“Among younger attendees, the absolute reduction in deaths is smaller, but the value lies in early intervention, identifying risk factors before they cause lasting damage, supporting behaviour change, and initiating treatment early enough to alter long-term health trajectories.
“Among older attendees, the impact is more immediate. At this stage, the health check is more likely to be detecting established but unmanaged conditions and getting people onto appropriate treatment faster.
“The fact that benefits were consistent across ethnic groups and deprivation levels is encouraging but also highlights that focus should be on removing the structural barriers that prevent deprived and minority communities from accessing it in the first place. This supports the case for community-based delivery, digital health checks, and workplace-based offers that meet people where they are.
“Although this study tells us what the programme achieves, it does not tell us why some people don’t attend. Understanding and addressing those barriers should be a priority for the next phase of evaluation and commissioning.”