Alton-based Kidney Care UK is urging people to take its five-minute online Kidney Health Checker test to understand their risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Those at risk will be given advice and support to help them prolong their kidney health as part of its #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign.

CKD affects one in ten people – equivalent to more than seven million in the UK – but a million of those are not even aware they have it.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes, but more than 70 per cent of people with high blood pressure do not have an annual urine test for CKD, while 45 per cent with Type 1 diabetes and 32 per cent with Type 2 diabetes do not have one either.

Unless action is taken to improve diagnosis and treatment rates, CKD is predicted to be the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2040.

Data released by the charity on October 16 shows 27 per cent of people are not aware of the main signs of CKD.

These include urination changes (35 per cent unaware), itchy skin (76 per cent), muscle cramps (76 per cent), puffy face, swollen ankles or swollen legs (64 per cent), and exhaustion (50 per cent). Other signs are food tasting different, nausea and vomiting.

The #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign runs on social and digital media until the end of November, and on bus stop posters in Alton at the end of October.