topic 2 - cardiovascular disease

• coronary heart disease is when the coronary arteries that supply blood gets blocked by layers of fatty materials which causes the arteries to become narrow and restrict blood flow increasing the risk of a heart attack
• stents are tubes that are inserted in the arteries to keep them open and making it easier for blood to pass through
• stents are a way of lowering the risk of heart disease and are effective for a long time and recovery time is short
• stents do have risks though.The surgery risks infection and patients can develop blood clots called thrombosis
• statins reduce cholesterol in the blood
• cholesterol is a needed lipid for your body to function properly however having to much can risk health complications
• statins are drugs that can reduce the amount of bad cholesterol present in the bloodstream
• statin advantages -

  reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes

  statins can prevent other diseases

  increases the good cholsesterol
• Statin disadvantage -

  long term drug that must be take regularly

  have side effects

  they take time to work
• Faulty heart valves -

  can be damaged by heart attacks, infections or old age

  valves can become leaky which means the blood flows both ways

  valves can be replaced by human or other mammals (biological valves) or made man made which are mechanical valves
• Artificial blood is used in emergency situations to replace the loss of blood
• Artificial heart is a mechanical device that pumps blood around the body.People are less likely to reject artificial hearts as its made of plastic and metal however surgery can lead to bleeding and infection