Cardiovascular disease

• Cardiovascular Disease:

  Conditions affecting the cardiovascular (circulatory) system:

  • blood vessels
  • blood
  • heart
• Explain the effects on a person if a valve developed a leak.

  Some blood would flow back into the heart so less oxygenated blood would be pumped to the body, cells require oxygen for respiration.
• Coronary heart disease (CHD):


  An example of a cardiovascular disease:

  • where the CORONARY ARTERIES become narrowed by a build-up of FATTY MATERIAL on the inside wall.
  • Blood flow gets restricted
  • so less oxygen reaches heart
  • so heart cells do not release enough energy
  • can result in a heart attack.

  
• coronary heart disease can lead to:

  • Angina (chest pain)
  • shortness of breath
  • HEART ATTACKS
  • stroke
• Ways to Treat Cardiovascular disease:

  • stents
  • statins
  • artificial hearts
  • replacement of heart valves
  • artificial blood
• Coronary arteries:


  • Small Arteries that branch off the aorta to supply The heart its own supply of oxygenated blood.
  • It encircles the heart, so the muscle tissue gets all of the oxygen & nutrients to function effectively.
  • This causes the heart muscles to contract.

  
• STENTS:


  A metal mesh placed into clogged arteries.

  • Tiny balloon is inflated to open up the blood vessel & stent.
  • Balloon is deflated.
  • Stent remains in place - holds the vessel open, ensuring adequate blood flow to the heart.

  
• Advantages of stents:

  • blocked artery is held open
  • blood flow to heart muscle cell is increased
  • Reduce the symptoms of CHD, like chest pain.
  • Lowers risk of a heart attack by preventing the artery from re-narrowing.
  • Longevity - a long lasting.
  • Quick surgery recovery time
  • Has an almost immediate effect

  
• Disadvantages of stents:

  • Complications during operations:
  • heart attacks
  • infections
  • Risk of developing blood clot (thrombosis)
• STATINS:


  DRUGS used to lower cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood.

  • They increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in the blood.
  • Slow down the rate of fatty deposits in coronary arteries.
  • Reduces risk of CHD & heart attacks.

  
• Cholesterol:


  A waxy, fat-like lipid made in the liver, found in the blood & all cells of the body. we need it to be healthy, but it comes in 2 different forms:

  • Bad (LDL) cholesterol
  • Good (HDL) cholesterol

  
• Advantages of Statins:

  • Reduces:
  • bad cholesterol (LDL) in blood.
  • STROKE
  • HEART DISEASE
  • heart attacks
  • Increases good (HDL) cholesterol, which helps remove bad cholesterol from the body.
  • Easy to take / not invasive (procedure)
  • slows down build-up of fatty material in arteries
  • maintain blood flow to heart muscle cells
•  Disadvantages of Statins:

  • Taken Regularly & long-term (could forget).
  • SIDE EFFECTS like:
  • Headaches
  • kidney damage
  • memory loss
  • Takes a while to kick.
  • might forget to take drug
• Heart valves replacement:


  Damaged or faulty heart valves can cause:

  • Tiredness
  • breathlessness
  • Death

  So it can be replaced with:

  • BIOLOGICAL valves

  or

  • MECHANICAL valves
• Mechanical valves:


  • man-made
  • durable
  • lasts long
  • reliable
  • does not break
  • no risk of rejection & transmission of disease
  • no need for anti-rejection drugs

  But we need medicine all your life to stop blood clotting to it.

  
• Biological valves:


  From animals (cows / pigs) or humans.

  • no need to take anti-clotting medication
  • but don’t last as long as mechanical ones.

  
• Advantages of heart valves replacement:

  • Quick procedure
  • Less drastic with quick recovery time
  • Mechanical valves last long
• Disadvantages of heart valves replacement:

  • Surgery, which can leads to problems - blood clots
  • Biological valves do not last long.
  • Our immune systems will identify biological material like biological hearts as 'foreign' & go against it.
• Artificial Hearts:


  Mechanical devices that pump blood, when a patient's heart has failed.

  • Effective for about 2 / 3 months.

  These usually are a temporary fix:

  • when a donor heart isn't immediately available or suitable.
  • To help a person recover by allowing the heart to rest and heal.

  but can sometimes be a permanent fix:

  • Which reduces the need for a donor heart.

  
• Advantages of artificial hearts:

  • Usually made of metals and plastics, which don't trigger an immune response, unlike donor hearts.
  • Keep person alive, until heart ready.

  
• Disadvantages of artificial hearts:

  • Surgery, which can lead to risks of:
  • bleeding
  • infection
  • Mechanical parts of the artificial heart can wear out.
  • The electrical motor could fail.
  • Blood flow not as smooth
  • Takes drugs to thin blood (prevents clots)
  • Uncomfortable
• When someone loses a lot of blood, e.g. in an accident:

  • their heart can still pump the remaining red blood cells around to get oxygen to their organs.
  • as long as the volume of their blood can be topped up.
• Doctors can give patients new blood by:


  • Artificial blood
  • Blood transfusion
• Artificial blood:



  • consists of a salt solution as a blood substitute
  • it adds volume to the circulatory system to:
  • keep vessels full
  • Allows the heart to keep on pumping
  • Keep people alive, even if red blood cells lose is at ⅔.
  • Buy time for natural production of red blood cells.
• Artificial blood disadvantages:

  • Doesn't contain any red blood cells to transport any more oxygen.
  • can only replace 1/3 of our blood with it.
• Blood transfusion:


  Real blood, donated by blood donors, that comes with its own red blood cells - the key to surviving blood loss.
• Heart valves may:

  • become faulty
  • It not open or close fully
  • May develop a leak
• Types of treatment for cardiovascular disease:

  • Lifestyle changes; dietary change
  • Medication with drugs
  • Surgery, including transplants
• Lifestyle changes:


  benefits:

  • No side effects
  • May reduce risk of other health problems.

  Drawbacks:

  • May take a long time to work
  • May not work effectively
• Medication with drugs benefits:


  • easier than changing lifestyle
  • starts working immediately
  • cheaper
  • less risky than surgery
• Medication with drugs drawbacks:


  • May have side effects
  • Needs to be taken long-term
  • may interfere with other medication
• Surgery:


  Benefit - usually a long-term solution

  Drawback:

  • risk of infection
  • expensive
  • more difficult than medication
• Examples of cardiovascular diseases:

  • Coronary heart disease
  • Heart attacks
  • Faulty valves
  • Heart failure
• Aerobic respiration: 


  The chemical process that supplies the majority of the energy required for the contraction of muscle tissue.
• Treatments for coronary heart disease (CHD) are:

  • Stents
  • Statins
• Heart Valves:


  Used to maintain correct direction of blood and prevent backflow.
• Problems that may be caused by faulty heart valves:

  • Not enough blood can pass through the valve, as the valve has become stiff, so it won’t open fully.
  • Blood can pass backwards through the valve, as the valve doesn’t close properly.

  
• Treatments for heart failure is replacement with:

  • Artificial heart
  • Biological heart
• Advantages of biological valve:

  • Reduced risk of blood clots & bleeding, during pregnancy / birth, which could cause heart attack or stroke.
  • Do not need to take anti blood clotting drugs
  • no risk to foetus from drugs
  • reduced risk of serious bleeds if in an accident
  • do not need to carry (anti-blood clotting) drugs when travelling
  • low risk of immune reaction

  
• Disadvantages of biological valves:

  • May be rejected
  • May have to go through surgery, more than once
  • may have to take immunosuppressant drugs
  • have to wait for suitable donor