The Health MOT Every Man Needs (But Keeps Putting Off)

This year, Men's Health Week (15–21 June) has a theme that's right up our street: men and pharmacy. The Men's Health Forum's message is simple — pharmacy is one of the most underused resources in men's health, and it's time that changed.

Think about it. Most men will book their car in for a service without a second thought, yet when it comes to their own body, the philosophy is usually "if it's not broken, don't fix it."

The irony is that your local pharmacy is one of the easiest, most accessible places to start changing that — no GP referral, no waiting list, often no cost. It's the health MOT you didn't know was already available to you.

That's what this post is about. Not a list of things to worry about, but a practical guide to knowing your numbers — because catching things early makes all the difference.

Know your numbers – Your Men’s Health MOT

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is often called the "silent killer" because it causes no symptoms — the only way to know you have it is to get it checked [1]. And men are especially at risk: 31% of men in England have high blood pressure, compared to 26% of women [2]. Yet half of all people with the condition are undiagnosed or not receiving treatment [1].

It gets worse the younger you are. Of men aged 16–24 who have high blood pressure, a striking 66% don't know about it [3]. That's two thirds of young men walking around with a condition that's responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks in the UK [1].

A blood pressure check takes about two minutes. Many pharmacies offer them for free — no appointment needed. If your reading is consistently above 140/90, it's worth a conversation with your GP [1]. That's it. Two minutes that could genuinely matter.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol doesn't announce itself. There are no symptoms, no warning signs — yet in 2021, 56% of men in England had raised total cholesterol (defined as 5 mmol/L or above) [4].

What's particularly striking is that high cholesterol isn't just a middle-age problem: among men aged 16–44, 53% already have raised levels — higher than women in the same age group (46%) [4]. By the time men reach 45–64, that figure climbs to 67% [4].

Too much LDL ("bad") cholesterol causes fatty deposits to build up inside the arteries — a process called atherosclerosis — gradually narrowing blood vessels and restricting blood flow [4]. Over time this significantly raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol is one of the most significant modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease [4].

The only way to know where your levels sit is a blood test. If you're aged 40–74, you're eligible for a free NHS Health Check which includes a cholesterol reading [5].

Blood Sugar

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in men than women: men account for 56% of all people living with diabetes in the UK [6]. Yet despite this, the condition frequently goes undetected.

Around 30% of people with type 2 diabetes in England — roughly one million adults — are currently undiagnosed [7]. For younger men, the picture is worse: 50% of those aged 16–44 with type 2 diabetes have no idea they have it [8].

Beyond diagnosed diabetes, prediabetes is a significant and underappreciated threat. Around 1 in 9 adults in England (12%, approximately 5.1 million people) have prediabetes — blood sugar levels that are elevated but not yet in the diabetic range [8]. Left unaddressed, prediabetes significantly increases the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes, though diet and lifestyle changes can reduce that risk [8].

Risk factors include being overweight, being over 40, physical inactivity, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes [9]. If any of these apply, it's worth getting checked. The NHS Health Check, available free to anyone aged 40–74 in England, includes a blood sugar assessment [5].

Home blood glucose monitoring kits are also available from Pharmacy Online if you'd rather test in your own time.

BMI & Waist Circumference

BMI is a useful starting point, but for men, waist circumference is often the more telling measure. In England, 70% of men are overweight or living with obesity [10] — but even those within a healthy BMI range can carry significant risk if they store excess fat around the abdomen.

For men, a waist above 94 cm is classed as high risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and above 102 cm as very high risk [11]. This isn't academic: 59% of men in England already exceed the desirable threshold, and 23% fall into the very high risk category [11]. Research in BMC Public Health found that a waist of 94 cm or above identified middle-aged men at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease with a sensitivity of 84.4% [12].

Measuring your waist takes thirty seconds. Find the midpoint between your bottom rib and top of your hip bone, breathe out naturally, and measure. If you're above 94 cm, it's worth a conversation with your GP or pharmacist.

If you're looking for structured support to make changes, Pharmacy Online offers clinically backed weight loss treatments — a discreet, accessible option for men who want to take action without the waiting room. It's not about aesthetics; it's about reducing a risk that, as the numbers above show, is very real.

Testicular Health

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men under 35 in the UK, accounting for around a third of all cancers in that age group [13]. Around 2,300 new cases are diagnosed every year, with incidence highest in men aged 30–34 — almost 1 in 5 (18%) of all cases fall in this age group [13]. Incidence rates have also risen by 25% since the early 1990s [13], making awareness more important than ever.

The good news is that it's also one of the most treatable cancers. More than 96% of men diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK survive for ten years or more, and for men aged 15–44 that figure rises to 97.6% [14]. Early detection is the reason those numbers are so high — which is why regular self-examination matters.

You're looking for any new lumps, a change in size or shape, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, or a dull ache in the lower abdomen. Checking takes less than a minute, and the best time is after a warm shower when the skin is relaxed. If anything feels different or unusual, don't wait — see your GP. In most cases it will be nothing, but if it isn't, catching it early makes all the difference.

Mental Health Check-In

Men's Health Week isn't just about bodies. It's about wellbeing in the fullest sense — and for too long, the conversation around men's mental health has either been avoided or drowned out by phrases like "man up" and "just get on with it." Things are changing. Slowly, but they're changing. This week, we want to add our voice to that conversation.

The numbers are stark

In England in 2024, the male suicide rate was 17.1 per 100,000 — more than three times the female rate of 5.6 per 100,000 [15]. Men aged 50–54 had the highest rate of any group, at 26.8 per 100,000 [15].

Yet men remain significantly less likely to seek help: only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies are for men [16], and 40% of men in the UK say they have never spoken to anyone about their mental health [17].

The issue isn't that men don't struggle. It's that they're less likely to recognise it, name it, or ask for help.

Signs worth paying attention to

Mental health challenges in men often show up differently than they do in women [16]. Rather than obvious sadness, look out for:

• Increased irritability, anger, or frustration
• Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities you used to enjoy
• Working longer hours or keeping busier to avoid your own thoughts
• Increased alcohol or substance use
• Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping much more than usual
• Feeling numb, empty, or going through the motions
• Physical symptoms with no clear cause — headaches, stomach issues, low energy

If any of these feel familiar, that's worth taking seriously.

Why men find it hard to ask for help

You don’t have to jump straight into therapy (though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that). Here are some places to begin:

• Talk to someone you trust — a friend, a partner, a family member
• Book a GP appointment and mention how you've been feeling mentally, not just physically
• Try the NHS Talking Therapies service — you can self-refer online
• Contact Mind's Infoline for information and signposting: 0300 123 3393 (Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm)
• Call Samaritans any time, day or night: 116 123 (free, 24/7)
• Text Shout for confidential crisis support: text SHOUT to 85258 (free, 24/7)

How pharmacy can help

Your local pharmacy can be a good first port of call if you’re not ready to go straight to your GP. Pharmacists are trained to have confidential conversations, and they can point you in the right direction.

We also stock a range of supplements and remedies that some people find helpful as part of a broader self-care routine, including a range of men’s health treatments and sleep support products including Melatonin and Quivviq. These aren’t replacements for professional support, but they can be part of looking after yourself day-to-day.

The most important thing…

Men's Health Week is one week. But your health — physical and mental — is a year-round conversation worth having.

Whether it's knowing your blood pressure, understanding your cholesterol, or simply admitting to someone that you're not okay: none of it requires a dramatic gesture or a full diary of appointments. It just requires a start.

The checks we've covered in this post are silent conditions, every one of them. High blood pressure, raised cholesterol, undiagnosed diabetes — they don't announce themselves. Neither does depression in men, which so often hides behind busyness, irritability, or a quiet withdrawal from the people who matter most.

That's what makes this week important. Not to overwhelm you with a list of things that might be wrong, but to remind you that finding out is almost always better than not knowing.

A two-minute blood pressure check at your local pharmacy. An honest conversation with someone you trust. A GP appointment you’ve been putting off. These are small things with the potential to matter enormously.

So, if there's one thing to take from this: pick one. Just one. And do it this week.

Pharmacy Online is here to make the physical side easier — from home monitoring kits to discreet prescription services, no waiting room required. But we also know that health is bigger than numbers on a test. Take care of both.

References

[1] Blood Pressure UK (no date) Blood pressure facts and figures. Available at: https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/media-centre/blood-pressure-facts-and-figures/(Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[2] NHS Digital (2023) Health Survey for England 2022: Adult health — hypertension. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2022-part-2/adult-health(Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[3] Office for National Statistics (2021) Risk factors for undiagnosed high blood pressure in England, 2015 to 2019. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/articles/riskfactorsforundiagnosedhighbloodpressureinengland/2015to2019(Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[4] NHS Digital (2023) Health Survey for England 2021 Part 2: Adults' health — cholesterol. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2021-part-2/adult-health-cholesterol (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[5] NHS (no date) NHS Health Check. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check/ (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[6] Statista (2024) Individuals with diabetes in England 2023/24, by gender. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/387302/individuals-with-diabetes-by-gender-in-england/ (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[7] Diabetes UK (2024) 30% of people living with type 2 diabetes in England are undiagnosed. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/news-and-views/30-people-living-type-2-diabetes-england-are-undiagnosed-ons-analysis-shows (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[8] Office for National Statistics (2024) Risk factors for pre-diabetes and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in England: 2013 to 2019. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthinequalities/bulletins/riskfactorsforprediabetesandundiagnosedtype2diabetesinengland/2013to2019 (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[9] NHS (no date) Type 2 diabetes — causes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/causes/ (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[10] NHS Digital (2025) Health Survey for England 2024: Adults' overweight and obesity. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2024/adults-overweight-and-obesity (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[11] NHS Digital (2023) Health Survey for England 2022 Part 2: Adults' body mass index, waist circumference and health risk. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2022-part-2/adults-body-mass-index-waist-circumference-and-health-risk (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[12] Vanhanen, H. et al. (2012) 'Waist circumference a good indicator of future risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease', BMC Public Health, 12(631). Available at: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-12-631 (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[13] Cancer Research UK (2022) Testicular cancer incidence statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/testicular-cancer/incidence (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[14] Cancer Research UK (2022) Testicular cancer survival statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/testicular-cancer/survival (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[15] Samaritans (2025) Latest suicide data: England 2024. Available at: https://www.samaritans.org/about-samaritans/research-policy/suicide-facts-and-figures/latest-suicide-data/ (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[16] Mental Health Foundation (no date) Men and mental health. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-health (Accessed: 10 June 2026).

[17] Priory Group (2023) Men's Mental Health: Why 40% of men won't talk about it. Available at: https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mental-health (Accessed: 10 June 2026).