June - Circulatory Disease

Circulatory Disease (also known as Cardiovascular Disease) is a term used to describe a group of health conditions that affect blood vessels around the body. This includes conditions that affect the heart, for example coronary heart disease and heart attacks, and those affecting the brain such as stroke and vascular dementia.

It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits inside arteries, with an increased risk of blood blots and reduced blood flow.

This short video by the British Heart Foundation explains more about what Circulatory Disease is and how it occurs.

Circulatory Disease is the biggest killer in Harrow, responsible for 1 in 4 deaths. It is also a common cause of early death in adults.

The effects of heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia also significantly reduce quality of life. People frequently feel more tired and short of breath, which can be life-long and impact on your ability to go about your daily life. Work and everyday tasks like shopping, cooking, showering and even climbing the stairs at home can become more challenging.

Preventing Circulatory Disease from occurring therefore helps you to live a healthier, happier life.

Sometimes there are circumstances that we cannot control. For example, those of us who are older, are South Asian or Black or have other members of the family with Circulatory Disease are often already at higher risk.

There are many risk factors you can influence though. Some of these are due to our lifestyle, such as smoking, diets high in salt, high-fat or processed foods, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol intake. Others are medical conditions related to these lifestyle factors, and importantly are still preventable. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease and being overweight/obese.

Circulatory Disease is a silent killer, and often people do not know they are at high risk until it’s too late. The vast majority of Circulatory Disease is also preventable, including early death from these conditions. Knowing your risk is the first step in helping you to reduce the chances of having or being impacted by Circulatory Disease in the future.

Know Your Risk is a national initiative run by Diabetes UK that will help you understand more about your risk of Type 2 Diabetes. It takes only a few minutes to do online.

Know Your Numbers is another initiative run by Blood Pressure UK. They provide useful information about the importance of knowing your blood pressure, with details on where to find your nearest blood pressure check.

All of us can make positive changes to our daily lives that will help to reduce our risk of developing Circulatory Disease. MyHealth London outline 6 things you can do to benefit your Circulatory health. The more, the better, but any of these changes no matter how small will have big impacts:

• Move – physical activity and movement can take many forms, such as walking, cycling or yoga. Learn more about the physical activity you can do and what support is available locally on our Physical Activity page
• Eat – try to reduce how much salt, high-fat and processed food you eat, and incorporate more fruit and veg into your diet
• Sleep – help your body recharge with better sleep
• Relax – factor in some more time to de-stress and unwind
• Connect – relationships are vital for our wellbeing, so meet up with friends and family or connect with your local community

Avoid harmful substances – cutting-down or cutting-out habits like smoking or drinking more than the recommended amounts of alcohol. You can find more information about smoking and alcohol risks and support to help you quit on their dedicated webpages.

Find more information and tips on how to start

This video by the British Heart Foundation provides more information about what you can do to reduce your risk of Circulatory Disease, with stories from people who have had personal experience.

Local GPs provide free NHS Health Checks, which are like a health MOT. You can find more information about the NHS Health Check in the next drop-down question “What is the NHS Health Check”.

If you’re over 40 you can also get your blood pressure checked at many local pharmacies in Harrow. It’s free, convenient, simple, non-invasive and you don’t need to book in advance. Find one of these pharmacies.

If you know you are at risk of Type 2 Diabetes, you can use the free NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. This will give you access to:

• expert-led coaching

• group support and personalised advice about nutrition

• movement and motivation.

Find more information about the Diabetes Prevention Programme and register.

You can also find more information about local support for quitting smoking, cutting down alcohol or doing more physical activity on our webpages.

NHS Health Checks are a free health MOT with your local GP. They are available for everyone aged 40 to 74 who do not have certain pre-existing medical conditions (for which you should already be having regular check-ups). You will be invited by your GP or Harrow council every 5 years, but if you have not been invited and believe you are eligible then contact your local GP.

The Health Check lasts 30 minutes at most, and includes assessing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. You will receive any results during the appointment and be given advice on how to reduce your risk of Circulatory Disease. This will help you to take preventative action early. This advice will be tailored to you, focussing on what changes you feel you can or should make and respecting what is important to you, for example any traditional foods or activities.

Even if you feel fine, it’s important to find possible Circulatory Disease risks early. Attending your NHS Health Check could lead to you living a longer and healthier life. For more information about the NHS Health Checks, visit the NHS website. This video also provides lots of helpful guidance and tips.

There are a number of key awareness dates for Circulatory Disease in 2025, which are:

• Diabetes Awareness Week – 16-22 June 2025
• Healthy Eating Week – 10-14 June 2025
• Know Your Numbers Week – 9-15 September 2025
• World Hypertension Day – 17th May 2025
• World Heart Day – Monday 29th September 2025