Health assessment tests
What health checks do we do?
Our health assessments include a range of measurements, tests and checks to tell you all about your health and fitness. The ones you'll have will depend on which assessment you book.
Health assessment tests we perform
Physical checks and measurements
Advanced fitness test††
We run a range of tests to explore your fitness, health and strength, including, predicted maximum heart rate, maximal minute power, functional threshold power, functional threshold heart rate, cardiorespiratory score, lung function, and the strength of your grip. It also tests for your predicted VO2 max, which is considered to be the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness.
Blood pressure
We follow NICE guidelines and check the blood pressure in both of your arms to give us a fuller picture. We're checking whether you have high blood pressure, which could increase your risk of heart problems, stroke, fatty deposits in your arteries, kidney disease, vascular dementia and more.
Body fat percentage
Knowing your BMI score is useful, but it doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle. Two people might have the same BMI, but if one has more muscle than fat then they’re likely to be fitter and healthier than the one who has more fat.
ECG‡‡
This is a common test for heart rhythm. While you're lying down, electrodes attached to your skin will painlessly measure your heart's electrical signals when it beats. A machine gathers this information and produces a chart for the doctor to interpret.
Heart Qrisk
We’ll look into your heart health and your risk of cardiovascular disease. Your overall Qrisk score will help us see if we need to refer you for more help or recommend any other tests as part of your assessment.
Heart rhythm screening†
Also called an atrial fibrillation screen, this uses the Alivecor Kardia device to take a 30-second snapshot of your heart beating. You'll hold your fingers on two very sensitive pads, which gives us an idea of whether you might have an unusual rhythm. We'll be able to tell if you might need further investigations.
Height, weight and waist measurements
We use these to work out your BMI, waist to height ratio and estimated energy requirements. The results help us understand if you’re underweight or overweight, both of which can lead to health risks. For example, if you have excess fat around your waist, you could be at greater risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke
Lung age
Also known as a spirometry test, we’ll measure how much air you breathe in and out of your lungs. We only do this if you have a recent smoking history. This is because the results may encourage you to stop smoking or continuing to stop if you want to.
Mobility and flexibility
You'll be asked to perform a range of movements to see whether you experience pain, stiffness or any other limitations. These could be a sign of arthritis, for example, or a soft tissue condition
Prostate, testicular and breast cancer screening
Your doctor will check for early signs of cancer, like lumps, and give you tips on how to look for these signs yourself.
Qdiabetes
We’ll look at your risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the next 10 years, taking your current health into account. We can use the results to give advice on how to lower or maintain your score.
Blood tests
You don’t need to fast before blood tests, but we will ask you to avoid caffeine for a few hours beforehand. If you’re having your health assessment at home, we’ll send you a blood sampling device as part of your kit.
Comprehensive cholesterol profile
This is a blood test which checks for a range of blood fats. Too much or too little of these fats can increase your risk of clogged arteries, heart attack, stroke, cancer and mental health conditions, for example.
Diabetes HbA1c
This blood test can check for Type 2 diabetes. Or, if you know you have diabetes, the test can help to monitor your existing condition. Diabetes can put you at risk of kidney disease, eye disease, heart attack, stroke and nerve damage, among other things.
Haemoglobin levels†
This measures how many red blood cells you have, as these carry oxygen and carbon dioxide around your body. A low count means you have anaemia (deficiency in Folic acid, B12 or iron), and it’s important to find out why. Equally, your count might be higher than normal, and again you'd need to find the underlying cause.
Clinically indicated tests
Only available on Be.Reassured, Be.Ahead and Mature Health assessments.
Bowel cancer screening
Recommended for over 45s, we can screen for any bowel cancer symptoms. Spotting any signs early can make whatever treatment is needed easier. We'll offer you a qFIT test which takes a stool sample to measure amount of blood in your poo. Alternatively you may opt for a computerised tomography scan (CT scan) to look for polyps or other signs of cancer. (The CT scan costs extra and is best booked beforehand).
Cervical cancer screening
For those over 25 every two years, your doctor may want to check for human papilloma virus (HPV). Finding these signs early means there's more we can do before they become cancerous.
Full blood count
This is a more in-depth look at the red blood cells if your haemoglobin results come back too low or too high. It is also often checked in those who we are concerned may be at risk of anaemia. For example, if you have heavy periods or a poor diet.
Kidney function test
We may take a closer look at your kidneys if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, or are on medication that can stress the kidneys.
Liver function test
If you have signs or symptoms that may alert us to you potentially having any liver dysfunction, we may want to run more checks.
Prostate Specific Antigen blood test (PSA)
If you’re over 50 or showing other symptoms like Erectile Dysfunction and unexplained weight loss, we can help detect problems with your prostate. Doctors will discuss the pros and cons with you first before ordering the test. We may also recommend this for 45-50 year olds if you are in a high risk category.
Thyroid function test
We may recommend a look at how your thyroid is performing. This will be if you have a family history of thyroid problems or are feeling depressed and tired.
Vitamin D, Coeliac, Ferritin, B12, Folate
We’d recommend a further look at these vitamins and proteins for a variety of reasons. This can be because of your family history, blood test results or even your diet and nutrition. Whatever the reason, your doctor will talk you through why they recommend it.
What’s next?
Book online
You can book your health assessment for a time that suits you and your lifestyle.
Call us
If you’d like to to chat about your options, call us on 0330 822 3128^
Or, if you don’t have the time right now, leave your details with us‡ and we’ll get back to you.
Need more information
We’ve got the answers to any questions you may have. If not, you can always give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.
† This test is not included when you book Be.Motivated. It is included as standard with Be.Reassured and Be.Ahead.
‡‡ This test is not included with Be.Motivated. If you book Be.Reassured, we’ll only do this test if it’s considered clinically appropriate for you. If you book Be.Ahead, you’ll have this test as standard.
†† Included in Be.Ahead only. You may not be able to go ahead with the advanced fitness test if you’re taking certain medication or have a certain medical condition. To check your eligibility, speak to our helpful advisers on the number above before you book a Be.Ahead health assessment.
^Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
‡ Please be aware that information you send to this email address may not be secure unless you send us your email through Egress. For more information and to sign up for a free Egress account, visit Egress.com. You will not be charged for sending secure emails to a Bupa email address using the Egress service.
Bupa Health Assessments are provided by Bupa Occupational Health Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 631336. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
