There are two main types of stroke: ischaemic and haemorrhagic.

Ischaemic stroke is caused by a blood clot interrupting the blood supply to the brain. This kind of stroke is the most common, accounting for up to 85% of all strokes.

This is where the need for health screenings comes in. With the right tests and scans, which we at Pall Mall can easily provide, we can spot warning signs before it's too late.

At Pall Mall, a health screening can help detect early signs of stroke by:

• Providing blood tests to check cholesterol levels
• A 24-hour blood pressure monitor to check your blood pressure isn't too high
• Several heart-related tests to ensure that your heart is functioning correctly
• Tests for C-reactive protein (CRP) as this can be a warning sign for strokes
• Tests for diabetes (this condition can significantly increase your chance of suffering a stroke)
• Performing an MRI scan or ultrasound to look for blood clots, meaning that you can feel reassured that there isn’t already a problem within your body

Even better, many of the tests we do to look for blood clots and potential ischaemic stroke risk will also highlight if you have a higher risk of a hemorrhagic stroke, meaning they can help to prevent both kinds of this debilitating event.

Kidney disease is an exhausting, chronic condition in its own right. It can cause long-term health issues, such as:

• An increased or decreased need to urinate
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Muscle pains

The problem with kidney disease is that the early warning signs are often barely noticeable and the early stages are often silent, so the need for diagnostic testing is more important than ever.

We can perform a simple blood test that will test for kidney function. We may also do other tests and scans to confirm that you are in the clear or to work out a treatment guide.

By finding any abnormalities, we can catch any kidney problems you may have and stop them in their tracks.

According to the British Heart Foundation, heart disease and other circulatory illnesses account for up to a quarter of all deaths in the UK each year. This is the equivalent of 460 deaths a day or one person every three minutes. Currently, there are 7.6 million people knowingly living with one of these illnesses in Britain.

For many of these people, they won't have known they had this illness until it was too late. If they were lucky, they may have felt breathless or found themselves struggling, causing them to go to a hospital and get treatment. However, by this stage, the disease is advanced and there is not much that can be done but to try and slow it down.

Sadly, for many people, the first sign they get of this illness is a heart attack. This tragically may end their life before they have a chance to alter their lifestyle or take any medication.

Heart disease doesn't let itself be known in the early stages, meaning your arteries could be silently furring up and narrowing inside you whilst you happily go about your life. This is why there is a need for early detection of health issues like heart disease.

So, how can a private health check help prevent heart disease?

At Pall, we can offer you:

• Instant access to 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
• Perform the following to check out how your heart functions in a range of different ways:
• Echocardiogram (ECHO) heart screen
• Stress Echocardiogram (ECHO)
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) heart screen
• Stress Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• A cardiac CT scan to check for your calcium score, showing us what deposits are already in your arteries and how narrow they have become

All these tests can help us see how healthy you are at the moment, and advise you on your next options.

By catching any problems before they become symptomatic, you have a good chance of living a longer and healthier life.

Diabetes is on the increase in the UK. According to Diabetes.org.uk, 3.8 million people are currently diagnosed with the disease.

Individuals managing diabetes may have to avoid certain foods, take certain medicines, or inject insulin. You may also have an increased thirst, feel tired all the time, or find that wounds don't heal as quickly as they used to.

All in all, it is a condition that needs to be carefully balanced to keep it under control and avoid side effects like a diabetic coma.

Type 2 diabetes can also lead to other medical conditions like:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sleep disorders
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Dyslipidemia
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Hypertension

Pall Mall offers a series of diabetes services, including a professional oral glucose tolerance test. This test will highlight if your body is already showing signs of difficulty when processing sugars.

As we are all living longer, it seems inevitable that dementia is on the rise. As highlighted by Alzheimers.org.uk, 1 person every 3 minutes is diagnosed with some form of dementia.

However, there are preventive steps that you can take to reduce your chances. Dementia itself is incurable, but if you look after your general health, you can put the odds better in your favour.

A private health check can test for things that may eventually lead to dementia, such as:

• Furring of the arteries
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• A predisposition to having a stroke.

By controlling these conditions early or stopping you from getting them in the first place with preventative care, we can help to keep your risk of dementia as low as possible.

If you invest in private healthcare, none of these problems exist. Instead, you can expect:

• Health screening tests when you want it, where you want it
• No waiting lists - a GP or consultant can be available as soon as you need them
• Flexible appointments, meaning that if you need one on a specific day or even at the weekend, then this is no problem
• The private specialist will have plenty of time to talk to you, will work with you on a one-to-one basis, and will explain to you each step for your personalised health plan

Private health checks at Pall Mall will be made available at your convenience, with a remote follow-up appointment to further put your mind at ease and fully discuss the findings.

Early detection of diseases and ailments is critical when it comes to preventing long-term or irreversible damage to your body.

Once a blood vessel is nearly blocked, you cannot unblock it. Likewise, you cannot reverse a heart attack or stroke. Once it's happened, it's happened.

As such, early detection can be the difference between life and death. It can mean living a healthy, long, fulfilling life instead of a life full of hospital trips, taking medicines, and feeling too ill or worried to enjoy yourself.

When you look at it this way, you can clearly see the need for health assessments on a regular basis. Preventative medicine can really be your lifesaver.

For example, monitoring your arteries at an early stage, where plaques are only just beginning to form, can mean we can stop heart disease and stroke in their tracks. We can offer treatments and lifestyle changes to prevent inflammation and severe narrowing of the arteries, giving you many more years of healthy life.

Likewise, if we catch kidney or liver problems before they take hold, we can ensure that these organs do not get damaged beyond repair and continue functioning correctly for years to come.

Without looking for illnesses, you have no idea what is happening deep within your body. Just 'feeling okay' isn’t always a reliable enough metric to go off. A professional health check offers a glimpse inside you to make sure you are as well as you think you are. It also offers the opportunity to rectify things if you're heading down the wrong path.