Online assessment

Preparing for your online assessment

Everything you need to know before your tests. Two minutes of reading now will make your report considerably more accurate.

Step one

Before your blood test

Fast for 12 hours

Water is fine and you should continue to drink it. Nothing else should be taken during this period, including tea, coffee, juice and milk. The simplest approach is to finish dinner by 8 pm and to have the test done at about 8 the following morning, before eating anything.

Take your regular medicines as normal

Continue all your usual medicines unless your doctor has specifically advised otherwise. Please do not stop anything for the purpose of this test.

Avoid alcohol for 24 hours beforehand

Alcohol affects the liver results and the triglyceride result in particular, and even a small quantity the previous evening can change them.

Avoid unusually heavy exercise the day before

Your ordinary daily activity is fine. It is only an unusually hard session, longer or heavier than you are used to, that we ask you to avoid.

Postpone the test if you are unwell

If you have a fever or an infection, please wait until you have recovered. Inflammatory markers rise during any illness and the results would not reflect your usual state.

Tell us if you are menstruating

Please let us know if you are menstruating on the day of the test. It can affect the haemoglobin and iron results, and it is useful for us to know when we interpret them.

Step two

How to measure your blood pressure

We ask for two readings, not one. A single reading is often higher than your true blood pressure, and that difference matters when we calculate your cardiovascular risk.

If you do not have a monitor at home, most pharmacies will take a reading for you, and many laboratories will do it when you attend for your blood test.

A blood pressure cuff fitted on a bare upper arm, with the arm resting supported on a table at the level of the heart.
The arm is supported at heart level and the cuff is on bare skin. Both details change the reading.

  1. Sit quietly for five minutes first

    Do not measure immediately after walking in, climbing stairs, or having tea, coffee or a cigarette.

  2. Sit with your back supported

    Keep both feet flat on the floor and do not cross your legs.

  3. Rest your arm on a table

    The cuff should be level with your heart. An arm hanging down gives a falsely high reading.

  4. Put the cuff on bare skin

    Please do not place the cuff over a sleeve, as this affects the reading.

  5. Stay still and do not talk

    Remain quiet while the monitor is measuring. Talking raises the reading.

  6. Take the first reading, wait, then take a second

    Leave one to two minutes between the two readings.

  7. Send us both readings

    Include the date and the device you used, along with both readings.

What to send. Send both numbers exactly as the monitor displays them, for example 128/82. Please do not average them yourself and please do not choose the better one. We need both readings, because we account for the difference between them in the risk calculation.

If the two readings differ by more than 10 points, please take a third reading after another short rest and send us all three.

Step three

How to measure your waist

Waist circumference is one of the most useful single measurements in the whole assessment. It reflects the fat around your organs, which drives metabolic risk far more than overall weight does. There is no substitute for it, which is why we are unable to leave it out.

Use a soft tape measure, against bare skin if you can, or over a thin layer of clothing.

A soft tape measure held horizontally around the waist at the level just above the navel.
The tape sits just above the navel and stays horizontal the whole way round.

  1. Stand upright

    Keep your feet together and your arms relaxed at your sides.

  2. Find the measuring point

    Measure just above your navel. This is not the narrowest part of your waist and it is not where your trousers sit, so please do not use either of those as a guide.

  3. Wrap the tape around

    Keep the tape horizontal the whole way round. Check in a mirror if you can, since the tape tends to ride up at the back.

  4. Keep it snug, not tight

    The tape should sit against the skin without pressing into it.

  5. Breathe out normally, then read the number

    Please do not hold your breath and please do not pull your stomach in. It is tempting to do so, and it makes the measurement useless.

Please record the measurement in centimetres if your tape allows it.

Step four

What to send us, and how

Reply to the email we sent you, or message us on WhatsApp, quoting your Vitalis code.

  • Your laboratory report. A PDF is ideal. A clear photograph of every page works equally well, as long as all the numbers are readable.
  • Your vitals, using the form in that email. This includes your height, weight, waist, both blood pressure readings, your resting heart rate if your monitor shows one, and whether you were fasting.
  • Anything else that might be relevant. This could be a recent report from another clinic, a hospital discharge summary, or a list of the medicines you take. More context allows us to prepare a better report.
  • Your Vitalis code, so that we can match your results to your file without delay.

After you send your results

What happens next

  1. We check that your results are complete

    If something is missing or does not look right, we will come back to you before going any further.

  2. Your physician reviews everything

    Your results, your vitals and the information you have given us are reviewed together, and your Biological Age and Risk Profile is prepared.

  3. We send the report and arrange a consultation

    We go through the report with you, so that you can ask questions and understand what the numbers mean for you specifically.

Common questions

Questions we are often asked

Can I use my own laboratory?

Yes. Any accredited laboratory is acceptable. If you would prefer us to arrange it for you, reply to your email and we will organise it.

I had some of these tests recently.

Please send us that report. If the tests were done within about three months and the panel matches what we need, there may be no need to repeat them.

I do not have a blood pressure monitor.

Most pharmacies will take a reading, and many laboratories will do it while you are there for your blood test. Please ask for two readings taken a minute or two apart.

How long does the report take?

Your physician prepares it once we have your complete results and vitals. We will tell you the expected timing when we confirm that we have received everything.

Do I need to fast for the whole panel?

Yes. Please follow the fasting instructions above unless we have told you otherwise, since several of the results we rely on are affected by recent food.

Is this a substitute for seeing a doctor?

No. This is a risk and biological age assessment based on your results and the information you provide. It is not a physical examination and it does not replace one. It is designed to work alongside the care you receive from your own doctor.

If anything is unclear

We are happy to help

WhatsApp +91 963 312 7325
Phone +91 484 318 8731
Email info@vitalishealth.in

Please note. If you have symptoms that concern you, please see a doctor in person rather than waiting for this report. This assessment is not intended for the diagnosis or management of an acute problem.