The FastDay Forum

I think in Japan you used to be able to book yourself in for a full medical check in a hospital. they do a complete scan

I don't know about that (though I wouldn't be surprised), but there is an annual health check conducted at workplaces and via town halls (for those that don't work) where things like cholesterol and fasting glucose are monitored. Other tests don't happen annually (like a stomach cancer test--stomach cancer is relatively common in Japan), and some only kick in after you reach a certain age. Because of my family history of hypothyroidism, I can add thyroid tests without added cost. It's a really good system for preventative medicine, though I imagine quite expensive.

interesting risk calculator, @carorees. The only thing I'd say about it is that the diabetes question is a blanket yes-or-no (as it SO commonly is - very poorly understood by society in general!) - whereas I've had a HbA1c in the "normal" range for about 13 years (5.4 or less in the old parlance), so I reckon that's got to lower my risk compared to someone with a HbA1c of, say, 7.0.

[Debs]

Thanks for that Carorees, I have just put in my risks and they are very low even though I have been on statins for a number of years. I altered it to take into account the fact that my score may go up if I am not taking statins any longer and the risk barely alters. So, with everything I have learnt, I am comfortable in my decision not to take them any longer.