# Ask which health checks are due

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/physical-health-risk-review/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 27 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#physical-health-risk-review

Keep heart and metabolic health on the list alongside your ADHD care.

**The number:** A health check reviews cardiovascular risk and how to reduce it ([NHS, 2023](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/nhs-health-check/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Not rated. Measured in the general population; we say so because ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
- Evidence grade: B. Grade B: trials in ADHD with low certainty, or strong general health evidence with a sourced reason it matters more with ADHD.
- Basis: General NHS cardiovascular-risk assessment guidance plus ADHD obesity and cardiovascular observational reviews; no GRADE rating for this action.
- 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.

## 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

1. Bring your family history and any blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar results you have.
2. Ask which cardiovascular or diabetes checks are appropriate under your local guidance.
3. Talk about food, movement, smoking or weight, without making weight the only measure of health.
4. Agree how you'll get results and what follow-up you need.

## Talk to a clinician first

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

### Start now

- 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.

### What it looks like

- 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.

### Common mistakes

- A general health check is not an ADHD-specific screening schedule. Follow local eligibility and clinical advice.
- Looking only at body weight can miss other risks. Ask about the whole cardiovascular picture.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [NHS Health Check](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/nhs-health-check/), NHS

## Sources

- [NHS Health Check](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/nhs-health-check/), NHS, 2023 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10501695/), JCPP Advances, 2023 (Tier 2 study)
- [The impacts associated with having ADHD: an umbrella review](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1343314/full), Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2024 (Tier 2 study)

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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.

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Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/