Home health test kit gets to heart of the matter...

A NEW home testing blood kit is promising to transform the ways people can take control of their own vital health statistics.

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It's arriving as a survey shows most of us know our pet's birthdays better than some of our key vital signs.

Research from Irish Life reveals that, while the vast majority of people know the importance of health screening, less than half of those surveyed had a health checkup in the last 12 months. It's where the new Essential Health service from Irish Life - described as at-home blood test kit that makes it easy for people to measure key health markers - thinks it can make a difference to lives.

Here DR HEATHER MCKEE, a Behaviour Change Specialist who has worked with the launch, reveals why when it comes to your health, knowing isn't enough - and how to turn health data into action.

MOST of us are walking around with a tiny health department in our pocket. We count steps. We track sleep. We watch our heart rate spike during a stressful meeting.

And yet, when it comes to the numbers that truly shape our long-term wellbeing - blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, BMI - many people couldn't tell you where they stand.