As people get older, deposits of cholesterol and other fats tend to narrow and block their arteries, the vessels that carry blood from the heart to every part of the body. This gradual ‘furring up’ process is called atheroma or atherosclerosis.

Smoking makes this process occur at a younger age.

Atherosclerosis in the arteries that supply the heart’s own muscle leads to angina and heart attacks.

If the atherosclerosis affects the arteries that supply blood to the brain, it may cause a stroke.

Atherosclerosis can also affect the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys, the renal arteries. This is called renovascular disease, and is a particularly common cause of kidney failure in older patients.