cardiovascular disease

• What is cardiovascular disease?

  Diseases of the heart
• Coronary heart disease occurs when coronary arteries become blocked by layers of fat
• Steps of coronary heart disease development

  1️⃣ Fatty material builds up in arteries

  2️⃣ Artery lumen narrows

  3️⃣ Less blood flows to heart

  4️⃣ Heart strain increases
• Coronary heart disease reduces blood flow to the heart muscle.
• A stent is an expandable tube placed inside arteries to hold them open
• What are the two main treatments for coronary heart disease?

  Stents and statins
• Stents require surgery, which carries risks such as infection or thrombosis.
• What type of lipid is affected by statins in the bloodstream?

  Cholesterol
• Statins increase the levels of good cholesterol called HDL
• Statins must be taken regularly for years to maintain their benefits.
• Faulty heart valves can be replaced with biological or mechanical valves
• What are two potential side effects of statins?

  Headaches and kidney failure
• Steps in replacing a faulty heart valve

  1️⃣ Valve is identified as faulty

  2️⃣ Surgery is performed to remove old valve

  3️⃣ New biological or mechanical valve is inserted
• Biological heart valves are typically sourced from pigs or cows.
• What is the main problem with artificial hearts?

  They are temporary
• Donor hearts for transplants must come from other humans.
• Artificial hearts are made of metal and plastic
• Why can donor hearts be rejected by the body?

  Immune system sees them as foreign
• Heart and lung transplants are performed together if both organs are diseased.