Guide
Understanding Men's Health: Key Health Checks and Tests
As we get older, we should all listen to our bodies and take action if something doesn’t feel right. But like the saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’ so it makes sense to give yourself an annual health check-up as well.
Getting a health check is often the first step to understanding your health better. The tests you have are designed to monitor many of the serious illnesses associated with men’s health. Knowing the results will put you in control of your future wellbeing.
They can also detect health problems before you have any symptoms, which often means that illnesses are caught early. Early detection can lead to less onerous treatment and quicker recovery.
Prevention at every stage of healthcare
Vitality Health Claims Insights Report 2024 shows that we’re very good at thinking we’re healthier than we are. Behavioural economists call this ‘optimism bias’. This means we tend to under-report our results when compared to those of clinicians doing the same test. Clinicians are around four times more likely to find an at-risk reading for hypertension, cholesterol or blood glucose levels.
The report also highlights the importance of building awareness of key health risks. This information can then be used for personalised health recommendations and support. If we don’t know what lifestyle habits we should be changing, we can’t make informed choices about our future health.
This is why Vitality offers a combination of self-reported, clinician-led checks and specialised assessments and screenings to help members not just build a picture of their health, but to trigger them to take positive steps to improve their health, with support from Vitality.
And the rewards for actively engaging with your health can be substantial. Highly active Vitality members live up to 5 years longer on average1 than the population as a whole.
What is a men’s health check?
Men’s health checks centre around the main causes of ill health amongst men. These include serious illnesses such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes and prostate cancer.
Once the results are known, you’ll be provided with feedback from your clinician. They’ll talk you through the results and make recommendations about how you can improve your health outcomes.
One of the ways to do this is to create new healthy habits. People who formed and sustained a habit of doing physical activity three or more times a week, for three years, saw a 27% reduction in their mortality risk2.
What does a men's health check involve?
While the specific tests may vary between clinics, most basic health checks typically include the following:
- Physical exam: A basic physical exam can reveal or examine various types of potential problems.
- Bodyweight and body mass index (BMI) calculation: Taking your weight and height can help determine if you are overweight or obese.
- Blood pressure reading: Recording your blood pressure, usually with a cuff that wraps around your upper arm, can document high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which can contribute to cardiovascular problems.
- Blood tests: Usually involves full blood count, cholesterol levels to assess the risk of heart disease, and blood glucose levels for diabetes screening.
- Lifestyle assessment: Discussion of diet, exercise, alcohol intake, and smoking habits to identify areas for improvement.
- Urinalysis: To check for signs of kidney disease or urinary tract infections.
- Cardiac health assessment: This may include an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess heart function.
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test: To screen for prostate cancer, particularly in men over 50 or those with risk factors.
Why are men's health tests important?
Government statistics show that over 16 million people are eligible for an NHS health check, but only 40% actually go on to have one3. This is especially true for men, who are less likely to get early help then woman3. But there are powerful reasons to get a men’s health check.
It’s been proved time and again that early diagnosis of cancer leads to a better outcome as a patient. Cancer Research UK say that if prostate cancer is detected and treated at stage 1 and 2, almost 100% of men will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed4. And 9 out of 10 men will survive testicular cancer for ten years or more5.
Early detection of high cholesterol and high blood pressure can be equally lifesaving. These conditions can result in heart disease and stroke, both major causes of men’s ill health. By catching and treating the symptoms before they become too serious, you can improve your life expectancy.
Having a deeper understanding of your health empowers you to take action to improve your wellbeing. Whether that means taking a drug to relieve symptoms or making adjustments to your lifestyle.
Vitality members who took part in our weight management programme achieved results that improved their health. In fact, 43% of members with type-2 diabetes reversed their diabetes1.
Plus, 47% of members enrolled in the Vitality quit smoking pathway were able to stop smoking1.
When should men start getting health checks?
Although it’s important to keep an eye on your diet and fitness at all ages, it’s after the age of 40 that you should consider getting a health check. It’s at this stage of life where you may start to notice a change in your physical health. And as we get older, we’re more at risk of heart disease and cancer6,7.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 25 to 49 in the UK, making up about 14% of all cases8. In contrast, prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men aged 50 to 74, accounting for nearly 32% of all cases8. That’s why it is wise to get checked even before experiencing any symptoms.
Cardiovascular disease is most common in people over 509. So, it makes sense to start getting screened in your 40s so you can make changes to your lifestyle if you need to.
Read more: Everything you need to know about a full health MOT
How often should you get checked?
If you’re younger, you might not need as many medical check-ups. But, if you want to stay healthy at any age, it’s a good idea to aim for a complete health check every few years.
The NHS have begun to offer health screening to all people who don’t have a pre-existing condition. You can get assessed if you’re aged between 40 and 74. And you’ll be invited for screening every five years.
At Vitality, we recommend that you get a health check every year. That’s why members who have health insurance plan with us can have one health check every plan year. The Vitality Healthcheck can be done face-to-face, or via video consultation, and measures your: blood pressure, BMI, blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
Over 600,000 Vitality members had a health check review in 20231. They’re now better informed about what’s going on inside their bodies and can take action if needed.
Types of tests and checks available
Health checks are an important way to monitor your health and pick up on any problems early on. Here are some key tests to consider:
Heart disease
There are around 4 million males living with heart and circulatory issues in the UK10. And they estimate that more than half of us living in the UK will get heart disease in our lifetime. But the good news is that death rates for heart and circulatory diseases are coming down11. And this may be due in part to health screening.
A heart health check will include questions about your current health and lifestyle. The clinician will also ask if there’s any history of the disease in your family.
They'll take your blood pressure. You may also be asked to monitor your blood pressure over several days, so they can get a clearer picture of how it fluctuates. Your practitioner may also check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Prostate cancer screening
There’s no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK. This means if you want to catch it early you’ll need to know the symptoms and keep a close eye on how your body is feeling.
If you're concerned, or there’s a history of prostate cancer in your family, you can speak to your NHS or private GP, and they will do a physical examination.
They may also run a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. This involves taking a sample of blood. However, the PSA test isn’t very reliable at detecting prostate cancer that needs treatment. If something is detected during a physical examination, you may need to go for a scan or biopsy.
Diabetes screening
Diabetes UK estimate that 1.2 million people are currently living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in the UK12. Symptoms of diabetes are not always easy to spot. And the only way to diagnose it for sure, is to get a blood test.
Diabetes screening involves taking a blood sample from a vein in your arm. The sample is analysed to check how much blood glucose there is in it.
If your levels are raised, you may be at risk of diabetes in the future. This is known as pre-diabetic. Your doctor will talk to you about how to manage pre-diabetes, but it will probably include adjusting your diet to reduce your sugar intake.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is not only a good indicator for heart disease, but for stroke and vascular dementia as well. It’s one of the routine tests done during health screening.
A cuff is placed around your bicep which inflates to provide a reading. If you have high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, you may be sent for further tests. Sometimes, you’re asked to monitor your blood pressure at home to get an accurate reading over time. If you’re over 40 you can get your blood pressure checked at a pharmacy for free.
Bowel cancer
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year. And it’s more common in men than women. But if caught early, it’s very treatable13.
Bowel cancer screening can be done at home with a FIT kit. This stands for Faecal Immunochemical Test. The test looks for tiny traces of blood in your stool. If it detects something, you’ll be called in to your GP or a specialist for a follow up. In the UK, the NHS will invite you to take a test from aged 50 onwards. Tests are usually repeated every two years.
Read more: What’s increasing your risk of cancer?
Understand your health better with Vitality
At Vitality, we want to help you make smart choices about your health and show you how good habits can make a difference. That’s why we offer the Vitality Healthcheck to all our members who have a health or life insurance plan with us.
You can have your health check done either in person or online, and it’s free once a year.
We also partnered with Bluecrest, the biggest health assessment network in the UK, to give our members extra peace of mind. Bluecrest health assessment includes over 50 tests including heart health, stroke and blood clot risks. It also includes bowel cancer screening and prostate cancer screening for men over 40.
If you meet our criteria, eligible members can get an Advanced Bluecrest health check for free. Other members can receive a 50% discount on any of the three Bluecrest health checks.
Find out more about health checks and assessments at Vitality.
Why choose Vitality health insurance?
Want to know more about private health insurance or thinking about taking out a policy? Here are some of the benefits of taking out health insurance with Vitality:
- Get video GP appointment within 48 hours
- Avoid lengthy hospital waiting lists
- Get specialist drugs and treatments
- See a consultant fast
- Refer yourself for physiotherapy
- Get mental support fast and without a GP referral
- Menopause support
- Discounts from top brands. And rewards for getting healthy.
Source:
- 1 Vitality Health Claims Insights Report 2024
- 2 The Vitality Habit Index, March 2024
- 3 Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Andrew Gwynne MP, Press Release, August 2024
- 4 Cancer Research UK, Survival for prostate cancer, May 2022
- 5 Cancer Research UK, Testicular cancer statistics, 2013-2017
- 6 Cancer research UK, Age and cancer
- 7 Cardiovascular Risks Associated with Gender and Aging, J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2019 Apr 27;6(2):19. doi: 10.3390/jcdd6020019
- 8 Cancer Research UK, Cancer incidence by age, 2017-2019
- 9 NHS, Cardiovascular disease, 22 April 2022
- 10 British Heart Foundation, UK Factsheet, September 2024
- 11 UK Parlament, Debate on premature deaths from heart and circulatory disease, 16 February, 2024
- 12 Diabetes UK, Statistic, 2022-23
- 13 Bowel Cancer UK, July2024
Men's health tests and checks FAQ
What does a men's health check involve?
You’ll be tested for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. And you may be asked to provide a sample of urine. Your weight and height will be recorded to measure your body mass index (BMI). You’ll also be asked about your lifestyle habits such as drinking alcohol and smoking. And some screening also requires information about your activity levels and diet.
If your health check includes screening for cancer, you’ll be asked if there’s a history of cancer in your family. You may also need to have a physical examination of your prostate and testicles. And have blood taken so it can be sent for analysis.
Can I get a full health check on NHS?
If you’re aged 40 to 74 and you don't already have a health condition, you can have a health check through the NHS. They’ll measure your height and weight and check your blood pressure. They’ll also take blood to check your cholesterol and possibly your blood glucose.
Whilst these tests address the most common causes of men’s ill health, they aren’t as extensive as the ones you can have through Vitality.
How much does a full health check cost in the UK?
Prices vary depending on the provider and the types of test you have. A complete health MOT will cost from £300 up to over £1,000.
Is a full health check worth it?
Relevant guides and articles
-
What is private health insurance?
![Doctor showing patient tablet device]()
In this guide we'll explore what is private health insurance and is it worth it? We look at how health insurance works and what factors affect its cost.
-
How does private health insurance work?
![A doctor is looking at his ipad]()
In this guide we find out how private medical insurance works. We look at what it does and doesn’t cover and how to make a health insurance claim.
-
How much does health insurance costs?
![$name]()
Find out the price of private health insurance in the UK and how it’s calculated. What are the key things you can do to make sure you’re getting good value.
