Systematic health checks of middle-aged people lead to over-diagnosis and fail to deliver health benefits, it was claimed yesterday.
A major study, conducted by analysts in Denmark, says studies of health checks have come up with varied results.
The researchers from the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, found that checks lead to an increase in diagnosis for high blood pressure – but fail to show evidence this saves lives.
This suggests "over-diagnosis and over-treatment", they say in the British Medical Journal.
The researchers analysed some nine studies involving 182,000 people, of whom about 12,000 died as research was taking place. About half these people took part in health checks.
The study avoided trials which only involved people over the age of 65.
The researchers, led by Lasse Krogsbøll, say it is possible that those who accept health checks are those who least need prevention treatment.
They suggest further research to identify which aspects of health checks might be effective.
The journal’s primary care editor, Professor Domhnall Macauley said the study found that "regular health checks are ineffective", even though the idea was "seductive" and seemed sensible.
BMJ November 21 2012
Leave a Reply