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Health check

The joys of getting a free health checkup because I’m 40

chanman · Dec 24, 2020 ·

Photo by andrew welch on Unsplash

The NHS kindly offers anyone over 40 a free health MOT. (TBH I haven’t actually checked whether you get these under 40, so please check!)

In Covid times, you get a phone call appointment from your GP and they arrange a blood test for you. I asked if I could get every available blood test including testosterone levels, and they said yes.

Some weeks later, you get a phone call from your doctor to discuss your results.

And mine were all good! There’s something reassuring about having a doctor say that all is fine, and all fine at a granular level.

My sugars were all fine, so not diabetic. Calcium all good. Even my cholesterol was all good, which Angelique was both surprised with and delighted about. I’m sure she’s been a positive influence on my cholesterol, as I do love my junk food and beers. She hates it when I buy McDonalds for breakfast!

My testosterone levels were well above average which I was chuffed about. My doctor wondered why it mattered so much to me and for me, it’s just that I know that as men get older, their testosterone levels go down. Along with their pep and vigour! The doctor didn’t disagree, so I take that as an endorsement!

As an aside, here’s some of the benefits of decent testosterone levels from a Harvard Health Publishing article:

Muscle size and strength

Bone growth and strength

Sex drive (libido)

Sperm production

Testosterone — What It Does And Doesn’t Do:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/drugs-and-medications/testosterone–what-it-does-and-doesnt-do

The only point of concern that the doctor raised was something about ‘big’ red blood cells and she asked me if I drank a lot. I reckon I drink about 30 units a week, and she said that was probably too much. You can’t change everything though, can you?!

Anyway, I recommend getting one of these MOT health checks done if you can. It’s a real weight off your mind and gives you a lot of confidence about your lifestyle (if it’s good of course). And things to focus on if it’s not so good. Health compounds, so if you’re able to get one of these, do so!

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