The score keeps up with the evidence
Medical guidance changes: a screening starts at a new age, a heart-health measure gets updated. When it does, we update the score’s method, publish what changed and where it comes from, and show you what it means for you.
2026.7 · ApoB results in g/L now read correctly
November 2, 2026 · currentSome labs report ApoB in grams per liter instead of milligrams per deciliter. We now convert it, so a high ApoB counts the way it should.
- ApoB reported in g/L (for example 0.95) is converted to mg/dL (95) before scoring. Before, it was read as a very low number and never lowered the cholesterol score.
Source: National Lipid Association; ESC/EAS dyslipidaemia guidelines (2019)
Counts toward: Health and habits: cholesterol
2026.6 · Long sleep scored exactly as the AHA does
October 30, 2026A correction: 9 to under 10 hours of sleep earns 90% of the sleep points and 10 hours or more earns 40%, exactly as in Life’s Essential 8. We had been smoothing between those steps.
- Full sleep points for 7 to under 9 hours. 9 to under 10 hours earns 90% of the sleep points, and 10 hours or more earns 40%, as the AHA’s table sets out. Before, 9 hours exactly still earned full points and very long sleep could score below 40.
Source: American Heart Association, Life’s Essential 8 (2022)
Counts toward: Health and habits: sleep
2026.5 · Home blood pressure counts sooner
October 29, 2026From the third day of home readings, blood pressure is scored on your average so far instead of the number you entered.
- From the third day of home readings, blood pressure is scored on the average so far instead of the number you entered. A full week of morning and evening readings is still the goal and still shown as the next step.
Source: European Society of Hypertension, home blood pressure monitoring (2023); AHA/ACC (2017)
Counts toward: Health and habits: blood pressure
2026.4 · Sleep matches the AHA exactly, and no one item outweighs the rest
October 29, 2026Up to 9 hours of sleep now earns full points, as in Life’s Essential 8. A follow-up scan on a personal screening plan counts the same as any cancer screening, and no single prevention item can be worth more than 5 of the 20 points.
- Sleep from 7 up to 9 hours a night earns full points (it stopped at 8½). Longer sleep still scores lower: about 9½ hours earns 90, 10 hours 50, as long sleep is linked to higher heart risk.
Source: American Heart Association, Life’s Essential 8 (2022)
Counts toward: Health and habits: sleep - A repeating scan that a positive genetic test calls for (such as a breast MRI on a high-risk schedule) now has the same weight as any cancer screening. It was weighted twice, which let one scan outweigh a colonoscopy, a flu shot and a checkup together. It still shows first on Today when it’s due.
Source: NCCN and condition guidelines
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - No single prevention item is worth more than 5 of the 20 points. With fewer than four items on someone’s plan, each keeps its usual weight.
Source: Our method
Counts toward: How the 20 prevention points are shared
2026.3 · Diabetes care, and two private yearly checks
October 29, 2026With diabetes, its regular checks count. Every adult can earn points for a yearly mood check and alcohol check, and the answers never move the score.
- With diabetes: an A1c at least twice a year, and a yearly eye exam, foot exam and kidney check (urine albumin and eGFR). A lab result on file counts on its own. The eye exam can be set to every 2 years when exams have been clear.
Source: American Diabetes Association, Standards of Care in Diabetes
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - A yearly mood check (PHQ-4) and alcohol check (AUDIT-C), taken privately in the app. Taking each one counts. The answers never change the score, so nobody loses points for depression, anxiety or drinking; they lead to a private next step instead. Only the person can take them or see the answers. Because these are new items, prevention points dip slightly (about 2) until each check is taken, then come back.
Source: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: depression and anxiety in adults (2023, grade B); unhealthy alcohol use in adults (2018, grade B)
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points), for adults with their own account - While someone tells us they’re pregnant, the weight factor pauses: BMI means something different for those months. It comes back when they tell us the pregnancy is over, or after 10 months.
Source: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; ACOG
Counts toward: Health and habits: weight (paused) - Colon cancer in a parent, brother, sister or child before 60 now means a colonoscopy every 5 years (it was before 50), and screening starts at 40 or 10 years before the youngest diagnosis, whichever is earlier. Lynch syndrome from MSH6 or PMS2 starts colonoscopy at 30.
Source: U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (2017, 2022); NCCN
Counts toward: Prevention: when colon screening counts
2026.2 · Prevention that fits you
October 28, 2026The 20 prevention points now include what your genes and family history add, not just what’s recommended for your age and sex.
- After a positive genetic test, its repeating scan counts: a kidney MRI for Birt-Hogg-Dubé, a breast MRI for BRCA, a colonoscopy for Lynch syndrome, and others. On schedule earns the points; overdue costs them.
Source: NCCN guidelines (kidney cancer; colorectal, breast, ovarian and pancreatic high-risk assessment), the VHL Alliance and the Li-Fraumeni (Toronto) protocol
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - With the strongest family signs (ovarian cancer, breast cancer before 50 or pancreatic cancer in a parent, brother, sister or child, a father with breast cancer, or a known inherited cancer condition), a genetic risk assessment counts once it’s done: counseling, or any genetic test result.
Source: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, BRCA-related cancer risk assessment (2019, grade B); NCCN
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - Colon cancer in a parent, brother, sister or child moves colon screening to 40, with a colonoscopy every 5 years when they were diagnosed before 50 or two of them had it.
Source: U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (2017, 2022)
Counts toward: Prevention: when colon screening counts - The prevention part still adds up to 20. Someone with more on their plan has each item worth a little less, and a missed high-risk scan shows first on Today rather than as an outsized drop.
Source: Our method
Counts toward: How the 20 prevention points are shared
2026.1 · The score’s first published method
October 24, 2026Where every point comes from, as of October 2026. Future updates are compared against this one.
- Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, activity, sleep, nicotine and diet.
Source: American Heart Association, Life’s Essential 8 (2022)
Counts toward: Health and habits (80 points) - Screenings for your age and sex, including mammograms every 2 years from 40 (2024) and colon screening from 45 (2021).
Source: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - Adult vaccines, including a flu shot every fall and a tetanus booster every 10 years.
Source: CDC
Counts toward: Prevention (20 points) - Activity from connected rings, bands and watches over the last two weeks, refreshed daily, with vigorous minutes counted twice.
Source: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018)
Counts toward: Health and habits: activity - Sleep from connected devices gets 30 minutes added before scoring, because devices count only time asleep and the AHA scale was built on what people report.
Source: Lauderdale et al., Epidemiology 2008 (CARDIA)
Counts toward: Health and habits: sleep - Device activity or sleep with no new data for three weeks is marked out of date.
Source: Our method
Counts toward: How your score is shown
The full method is on How the score works. Information, not medical advice. Questions or a change we should make? hello@checkupscore.com