We offer FREE screening tests for
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- high cholesterol
- obesity
- early indicators of diabetes
- oral cancers
- alcohol misuse
- What? Blood pressure check
- Why?
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a very common condition, with some potentially serious long-term consequences, including heart attack and stroke.
- Simple measures such as diet and exercise can reduce blood pressure, while GPs can offer many effective treatments
- What's healthy?
- Normal adult blood pressure at rest should be lower than 140/90mmHg
- What? Cholesterol level check
- Why?
- Cholesterol levels reflect how fats from the diet are transported around the body.
- High levels of 'bad cholesterol' (LDL) put you at risk of cardiovascular disease, while high levels of 'good cholesterol' (HDL) can be protective
- Many people do not know their cholesterol levels and are not routinely tested. Late recognition of high cholesterol increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
- What's healthy?
- Total cholesterol<5mmol/l
- Low-density lipoprotein LDL<3mmol/l
- High-density lipoprotein HDL>1mmol/l
- Triglycerides TG<1.7mmol/l
- What? Body mass index
- Why?
- Body mass index (BMI) is a tool to determine whether a person is a healthy weight for their given height
- Although some healthy people can have a BMI slightly within the overweight category, it is a good indication of the risk of obesity and its complications
- BMI is also a sensitive way of identifying if people are underweight, which can have serious health consequences
- What's healthy?
- Underweight <18.5, normal 18.5-25, overweight 25-30, obese >30
- What? Blood glucose
- Why?
- Diabetes is an increasingly common problem in the population and arises from an inability of the body to handle sugars effectively
- Most diabetes is caused mainly by a long-term poor diet, and is often only picked up through screening tests, by which time opportunities have already been missed to reduce the adverse health consequences
- Diabetes can have very serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease, eye, kidney and nerve problems, if not treated adequately
- Early identification of people at risk of diabetes is essential to reduce the occurrence of complications
- What's healthy?
- It depends on a number of factors, particularly when (and what!) you last ate, normal blood glucose ranges from 4-7mmol/l and it should not exceed 11.1mmol/l, even after eating
- What? Alcohol misuse
- Why?
- Many people are not aware that the quantity of alcohol they drink might be considered as harmful to their health
- What's healthy?
- The recommended weekly alcohol consumption for men is no more than 21 units, with no more than 4 units in a day and at least 2 alcohol free days
- The recommended weekly alcohol consumption for women is no more than 14 units, with no more than 3 units in a day and at least 2 alcohol free days
- Pregnant women are advised to refrain from drinking alcohol
- We have partnered with a number of UK sports grounds to bring our free health check service to the wider public, so if you see our stand at any sporting event, please drop in for a quick health 'MOT'!