NHS shake-up means millions of Britons will receive DIY Midlife MOT test kit

Set to be rolled out next spring, 15 million adults between the ages of 40 to 75 will be invited to complete an online health assessment.

Patients across England will be asked to provide details on their weight, height, diet, alcohol intake and exercise regime.

A blood test to check for cholesterol will also be sent out in the post, but patients will need to see a pharmacist to find out their blood pressure readings.

After the DIY MOT kit is completed, anybody showing early signs of illness, such as heart disease, will be offered medical assistance.

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Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented every year through simple health checks, which could save lives and ease pressure on the NHS.

“This could play an important role in helping people live healthier for longer and saving lives in the coming years, while reducing pressure on the NHS.”

Existing health checks for people in the same age range occurs face-to-face at GP surgeries.

David Baines, vice chair of the Local Government Association, told The Times: “Making more digital health checks available is a useful tool to detect certain illnesses.

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“But it should be treated as an addition to, not a replacement for, a physical health check.”

What is a healthy blood pressure reading?

The NHS says an ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.

Once the reading is 140/90mmHg or more, a person is considered to be suffering from hypertension.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for:

• Heart disease
• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Heart failure
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Aortic aneurysms
• Kidney disease
• Vascular dementia.

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Cholesterol levels are a useful indicator of a person’s health as too high of a reading is also a risk factor for:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Mini stroke
• Peripheral arterial disease.

By detailing your height and weight, you are also able to calculate your body mass index (BMI).

A BMI calculation in the healthy weight range is between 18.5 to 24.9, the NHS says,

There are limitations to BMI, however, as the calculation does not include muscle mass, which weighs more than fat.

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