Introducing the A14 Protocol: A Free Health Assessment After 40

Today we are launching the A14 Protocol, a free health assessment after 40 that turns 14 evidence-based markers into one score and a personal report. It takes about six minutes and needs no signup. Moreover, and every number in it comes from published medical research. Take the A14 Protocol now.

We built it because most online health quizzes are guesswork. Usually, they ask vague questions, invent their own scoring rules and hand you a result you cannot check. In contrast, the A14 Protocol uses the same cut-offs doctors and researchers use, and it shows you the source behind every one of them.

Why we built a health assessment after 40

Midlife is when silent risk factors start to add up. For instance, blood pressure creeps up, blood sugar drifts, muscle strength declines and sleep gets shorter, often without any symptoms. As a result, many people only learn about a problem years after it began.

The American Heart Association found that only about one in five US adults has high cardiovascular health on its Life’s Essential 8 scale. Meanwhile, the CDC estimates that more than one in three adults has prediabetes, and most of them do not know it. Therefore, a simple, honest check can show you where you stand long before a problem becomes a diagnosis.

What does A14 mean?

First of all, the name is short for Aspire 14. The “A” comes from Health Aspire, and 14 is the number of markers the protocol measures. We called it a protocol rather than a quiz because it follows fixed, published rules, so the same answers always give the same score.

The 3 parts of the A14 health assessment

1. Heart and lifestyle (8 markers)

This part uses the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8: blood pressure, non-HDL cholesterol, blood sugar, body mass index, sleep, physical activity, nicotine exposure and diet. Then each measure gets 0 to 100 points using the AHA’s own cut-offs, published in the journal Circulation in 2022.

2. Mind and connection (3 markers)

Mental health is also part of physical health after 40. This section uses the PHQ-4, a four-question screen for anxiety and depression, and the UCLA-3 loneliness scale. Importantly, both are short, validated questionnaires used in clinics and large research studies.

3. Physical fitness (3 markers)

Finally, you can add your resting heart rate, your VO2 max from a fitness watch or lab test, and a 30-second chair stand test you can do at home. Then the tool compares your results with the FRIEND fitness registry and the CDC’s STEADI standards for your age and sex.

What your A14 report shows

• First, an overall A14 score out of 100, plus a separate score for each section.
• Every marker shown against its healthy reference range, so you can see exactly which ones are in the green.
• Smart insights that read your answers together. For example, short sleep combined with high blood sugar triggers a specific explanation, because the two affect each other.
• Your biggest lever: the single change that would raise your score the most.
• Clear flags when a result needs a doctor’s attention, such as very high blood pressure or a blood sugar level in the diabetes range.
• Finally, a personal PDF report emailed to you for free, that you can bring to your next checkup.

How to use the A14 Protocol

First, enter your age and sex. Next, fill in one section or all three; you can skip any number you do not know. Then press “Score this section” to see your results instantly. Finally, save your report as a PDF or email it to yourself, and repeat the check every six months to track your progress.

The whole health assessment after 40 runs in your browser, so your answers stay private. Nothing is stored unless you choose to email yourself the report.

Is this health assessment after 40 a medical test?

No. Instead, the A14 Protocol is an educational screening tool, not a diagnosis. However, it is built on the same guidelines your doctor uses, which makes it a useful starting point for a better conversation at your next appointment.

Ready for your own health assessment after 40? Start the free A14 Protocol health check, or browse our other free health calculators. For background reading, see our guide to facts about aging after 40.

Sources

• Lloyd-Jones DM et al. Life’s Essential 8. Circulation, 2022. Source
• Lloyd-Jones DM et al. Status of cardiovascular health in US adults and children using the AHA’s new Life’s Essential 8 metrics. Circulation, 2022. Source
• CDC. Prediabetes: Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Source
• Kroenke K et al. The PHQ-4. Psychosomatics, 2009. Source
• Kaminsky LA et al. FRIEND reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2022. Source

This article is for education and does not replace medical advice. If you have symptoms or concerns, talk to your doctor.