Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means that the kidneys are not working to full capacity after damage from either advancing age or a disease process such as diabetes. You have two kidneys, and their function is to filter out waste products from the body via the urine and balance up certain salts like potassium and sodium in your blood. CKD is sometimes referred to as renal failure, and is a long-term condition that usually causes no symptoms in the early stages. It can get worse over time, but it usually progresses slowly over years, and it’s rare to progress to a stage where the kidneys stop working altogether, which requires dialysis. For this reason, CKD is monitored regularly and risk factors for further damage are carefully controlled, such as diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension).

Chronic heart failure is when the heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body, and is a long-term condition that gradually gets worse over months and years. Although it’s called heart failure, it doesn't mean that the heart has failed, but more that it is not working properly and needs some help. It usually occurs because the heart has become too weak or stiff to pump blood effectively, and the heart needs help to boost its function and reduce symptoms. Unfortunately it's not usually curable, people learn to manage the symptoms and live with it. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the collective name for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. It is a leading cause of death in the UK. It is caused by a build-up of plaque in the arteries of the heart, as well as arteries delivering blood and oxygen to the brain, kidneys and eyes. Plaque build-up puts these vessels at increased risk of obstruction within these vessels and clots within the blood. 

Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen from the heart to the rest of the body. Atherosclerosis is a process in which substances build up in these arteries in the form of plaques, narrowing them and reducing their ability to transport oxygen to the cells that need it. Plaques are made up of all the bad fats, cholesterol and other deposits and this can happen anywhere in your body - heart, brain, kidneys, eyes etc. Occasionally plaque can break off and travel to cause an obstruction or blockage of other vessels causing a clot. A combination of the above events can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Atherosclerosis is associated with ageing but occurs due to high cholesterol, poor diet and lifestyle over long periods of time.

Acute heart failure is a sudden and severe condition where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively, leading to a rapid buildup of fluid in the lungs, body tissues, or both. This can result in symptoms like severe shortness of breath, leg or abdomen swelling, and a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Unlike chronic heart failure, which develops gradually over time, acute heart failure demands immediate medical attention as it can be life-threatening. This condition can occur as a sudden worsening of chronic heart failure or emerge as a new and unexpected event, often triggered by factors like heart attacks, severe infections, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. Understanding its causes, recognising the warning signs, and acting swiftly can make a critical difference in outcomes for those affected.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is present in your blood. High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, occurs when there are raised levels in your body. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by particles called lipoproteins, and there are two types of these – low density and high density. When low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) carry cholesterol this is often called 'bad' cholesterol because high levels of LDL cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease. In contrast, HDL cholesterol is viewed as 'good' cholesterol because higher levels help to prevent cardiovascular disease. Fatty substances build up in your blood mainly as a result of diet and lifestyle choices. Eating unhealthy fatty foods and not exercising enough puts you at risk of developing high cholesterol. If you smoke or drink alcohol or are overweight, your risk increases further. Too much cholesterol can cause a blockage in the blood vessels and there is a link between increasing blockage of blood vessels and a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. If someone in your family has high cholesterol then you are also more likely to suffer from it. There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, the only way to confirm this is with a blood test.

Hypercholesterolemia, commonly known as high cholesterol, is a condition characterised by elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood. This condition is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. Understanding the causes, symptoms, risk factors, and dietary management of hypercholesterolemia is essential for maintaining heart health and preventing associated complications.

Low blood pressure (BP), or hypotension, can give symptoms of feeling lightheaded, dizziness, feeling a bit weak, feeling sick, disorientation, and suffering momentary blurred vision. It can cause you to faint. It may also cause no symptoms. It’s diagnosed when a BP machine gives a reading of less than 90/60 mmHg. A healthy BP should be 100-120/80-90 mmHg. You might have a slightly faster heart rate (the third number on the BP machine) to make up for the low BP, in order to keep blood flowing to your vital organs.

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) – also sometimes called peripheral arterial disease - is a disorder of the blood circulation that causes your vessels to become narrow and get blocked, thereby reducing the blood flow to organs. It often affects the lower legs and feet and is quite common, affecting around 1 in 5 men and 1 in 8 women in the UK over the age of 50. PVD is usually caused by the build-up of fatty deposits inside the walls of arteries and veins but infection and injury can also cause damage.

Named after the doctor who first described it in 1862, Raynaud's phenomenon – often just called Raynaud’s - is a condition that affects the circulation of blood in certain areas of the body, most often the fingers and toes, usually when exposed to the cold. It can cause the areas to change colour (white, blue and then red in an attack), become painful, numb, and restrict movement. It is a fairly common condition that affects women more than men and the most common type usually develops before the age of 30, sometimes running in families. It can be triggered by various factors like stress, cold weather (the most common trigger), and even excess caffeine. It is not usually a serious condition although it can affect people's quality of life, and sometimes can also be linked to other underlying medical conditions.

Xanthelasma are fat deposits around the eyes, usually found near the inner corner of the eye and the inner upper eyelid. They tend to look slightly paler than the person's skin tone, and the lumps can vary in size. They are harmless themselves but can represent a high level of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body, although this is not always the case. Higher levels of cholesterol in the body can increase your risk of heart problems. They do not need to be removed from around the eyes but can be removed privately for cosmetic reasons by a variety of methods from excision of the lumps to laser, chemical or freezing.

A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off. Without blood, brain cells start dying within minutes. This makes the speed of treatment very important, so the most important thing that people can do is recognise the signs of a stroke and call for help quickly. Every year in the UK around 115,000 people have a stroke, and a further 30,000 have a recurrent stroke. Although strokes can occur at any age – even in the very young – the vast majority of cases are in the elderly. This means that in the UK about 1 in 100 of the over-75 population have a stroke every year. To remember the signs to identity a stroke, think “F-A-S-T”. F stands for face (face droop) A stands for arm (weakness in one or both arms) S stands for speech (trouble in speaking) T stands for time (immediately call the emergency number local to you, such as 999 in the UK). Other symptoms of stroke can be sudden confusion, blurred vision in one or both eyes, seeing double, dizziness or loss of balance and coordination, and a severe headache.