Universal heart check-ups unnecessary claim researchers

Government plans to provide universal heart check-ups are a waste of resources and unnecessary, it has been claimed.

Everyone between 40 and 74 is to be granted free screenings to check for early signs of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems if the proposals go ahead.

The Department of Health scheme is estimated to cost around £250 million. Although announced in 2008, it has not yet been fully rolled out across England.

But according to research from Cambridge University, published in the British Medical Journal, it would be cheaper to target the check-ups to those most at risk while still being just as effective at fighting heart disease.

The team recommended using a heart disease risk questionnaire and patient records to determine who should undergo screening.

"This approach has the potential to reduce the number of people required to attend their surgery for vascular risk screening, as well as the cost of the screening programme," the researcher's report said.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help prevent the onset of heart disease while risk factors include drinking, smoking and high blood pressure.

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