Ask which health checks are due
Keep heart and metabolic health on the list alongside your ADHD care.
Not ratedgeneral health evidence
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Name one health check or result you're not sure is up to date.
5 minutes
List known family history, existing conditions and any past results you can easily find.
15 minutes
Prepare a primary-care appointment request asking which preventive checks are appropriate.
How sure the science is
Not rated, general health evidence
No pooled trials to rate. This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Measured in the general population; we say so because ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
General NHS cardiovascular-risk assessment guidance plus ADHD obesity and cardiovascular observational reviews; no GRADE rating for this action.
The number, drawn
A health check reviews cardiovascular risk and how to reduce it
Why it matters
Guidance on assessing and preventing heart risk comes from the general population. Observational research links ADHD with obesity and cardiovascular disease, although one large registry study found no link with cardiovascular disease in adults, and these associations don't show that ADHD causes either condition. Ask which checks fit your age, symptoms and other risks, and don't assume ADHD on its own calls for extra tests.
How to do it
- Bring your family history and any blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar results you have.
- Ask which cardiovascular or diabetes checks are appropriate under your local guidance.
- Talk about food, movement, smoking or weight, without making weight the only measure of health.
- Agree how you'll get results and what follow-up you need.
Who gets tested, and how often, varies by country and by personal risk. New symptoms need a clinical assessment, not a wait for the routine check.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Ask whether you are due a cholesterol check given your age and family history.
- If weight has changed, describe the change alongside eating, activity and other symptoms.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA general health check is not an ADHD-specific screening schedule. Follow local eligibility and clinical advice.
- Common mistakeLooking only at body weight can miss other risks. Ask about the whole cardiovascular picture.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- B Trials in ADHD with low certainty, or strong general health evidence with a sourced reason it matters more with ADHD.
- The number
- A health check reviews cardiovascular risk and how to reduce it (NHS, 2023)
- Benefit
- 67/100 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineNHS Health CheckNHS, 2023
- Tier 2 studyAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysisJCPP Advances, 2023
- Tier 2 studyThe impacts associated with having ADHD: an umbrella reviewFrontiers in Psychiatry, 2024
General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.