PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Si Si AU - John R Moss AU - Thomas R Sullivan AU - Skye S Newton AU - Nigel P Stocks TI - Effectiveness of general practice-based health checks: a systematic review and meta-analysis AID - 10.3399/bjgp14X676456 DP - 2014 Jan 01 TA - British Journal of General Practice PG - e47--e53 VI - 64 IP - 618 4099 - http://bjgp.org/content/64/618/e47.short 4100 - http://bjgp.org/content/64/618/e47.full SO - Br J Gen Pract2014 Jan 01; 64 AB - Background A recent review concluded that general health checks fail to reduce mortality in adults.Aim This review focuses on general practice-based health checks and their effects on both surrogate and final outcomes.Design and setting Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.Method Relevant data were extracted from randomised trials comparing the health outcomes of general practice-based health checks versus usual care in middle-aged populations.Results Six trials were included. The end-point differences between the intervention and control arms in total cholesterol (TC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), and body mass index (BMI) were −0.13 mmol/l (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.19 to −0.07), −3.65 mmHg (95% CI = −6.50 to −0.81), −1.79 mmHg (95% CI = −2.93 to −0.64), and −0.45 kg/m2 (95% CI = −0.66 to −0.24), respectively. The odds of a patient remaining at ‘high risk’ with elevated TC, SBP, DBP, BMI or continuing smoking were 0.63 (95% CI = 0.50 to 0.79), 0.59 (95% CI = 0.28 to 1.23), 0.63 (95% CI = 0.53 to 0.74), 0.89 (95% CI = 0.81 to 0.98), and 0.91 (95% CI = 0.82 to 1.02), respectively. There was little evidence of a difference in total mortality (OR 1.03, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.18). Higher CVD mortality was observed in the intervention group (OR 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.66).Conclusion General practice-based health checks are associated with statistically significant, albeit clinically small, improvements in surrogate outcome control, especially among high-risk patients. Most studies were not originally designed to assess mortality.