Beverley Bostock
RN MSc MA Queen’s Nurse President-Elect Primary Care Cardiovascular Society Specialist Nurse – Long-Term Conditions
Mahmoud Khodadi
MPharm MScACP IPresc Advanced Pharmacist in Cardiovascular Disease
This article forms part of a disease awareness campaign commissioned and funded by Boehringer Ingelheim. Beverley Bostock and Mahmoud Khodadi were compensated for their time and expertise in contributing to this content. The views expressed are their own.
The best advice, help and support for better heart and kidney health is just a conversation away. Ask your GP or local pharmacy about simple checks and tests available to you.
If you have concerns about your heart or kidney health — or want to know more about the tests and checks available to you — Beverley Bostock, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Long-term Conditions, Mann Cottage Surgery, has this advice.
“Have a conversation with your GP,” she says. “A good clinician will never be concerned by a patient asking for help, advice or information.”
Empowering patients and surgeries through knowledge
Bostock admits that she “would love more people to be proactive about their heart and kidney health.” She would also love more GP surgeries to make it easier for patients to reach out with their questions or concerns.
“For example, our practice holds evening meetings where we explain to patients what their kidneys do and why it’s so important to protect them. It’s an information-sharing session that’s a great way to start a conversation about the link between the heart and kidneys.”
find out whether the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) test is available,
which can help detect early kidney damage and reveal hidden heart risk
In addition, Bostock would encourage people to find out whether the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) test is available, which can help detect early kidney damage and reveal hidden heart risk.
“When it comes to kidney function, blood tests are just one part of the equation,” she says. “I’m keen for patients to ask their primary care healthcare team, such as nurses, pharmacists and physician associates, ‘Should I be considering the uACR as well?’”
Tapping into support from your local pharmacy
Of course, patients can also seek advice and support from their local pharmacy, notes Mahmoud Khodadi, Lead Pharmacist, Five Parks Primary Care Network. “The great benefit of community pharmacies is their accessibility,” says Khodadi. “They’re typically located closer to where people live or work, and patients can get faster responses without the need for an appointment.”
Point-of-care checks available at pharmacies include blood pressure checks as part of a hypertension case-finding service — and some may offer urine sample home-testing kits.
“Pharmacies that are successfully integrated within their primary care network will have direct access to GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Clinical Practitioner colleagues,” says Khodadi. “As a result, they’ll be able to offer patients the best advice regarding next steps.”
NP-GB-108132 | September 2026
