Cardiovascular Disease

• What is cardiovascular disease?

  Diseases of the cardiovascular system
• What happens in coronary heart disease?

  Coronary arteries get blocked by fatty buildup
• How does blockage in coronary arteries affect the heart?

  Less blood flow means less oxygen to the heart
• What are the two main treatments for coronary heart disease?

  Stents and statins
• What is a stent?

  An expandable tube placed in arteries
• What are the benefits of stents?

  Quick surgery and long-term effectiveness
• What are the risks associated with stent surgery?

  Heart attack, infection, thrombosis risk
• What is a statin?

  A medication that alters cholesterol levels
• What are the two types of cholesterol?

  Bad LDL and good HDL cholesterol
• How do statins affect cholesterol levels?

  Decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol
• What are the downsides of taking statins?

  Must be taken long-term and may cause side effects
• What can cause damage to heart valves?

  Old age, heart attacks, infections
• What is the role of heart valves?

  Allow blood to flow in one direction
• What are the two main problems with faulty heart valves?

  Stiff valves that don't open and leaking valves
• How can faulty heart valves be fixed?

  By replacing them with new valves
• What types of valves can be used for replacement?

  Biological valves or mechanical valves
• What is heart failure?

  Heart can't pump blood properly anymore
• What is the only proper treatment for severe heart failure?

  A heart transplant
• What types of hearts can be used for transplants?

  Biological hearts or artificial hearts
• Why are artificial hearts considered a temporary fix?

  They aren't very effective long-term
• Why can't pig or cow hearts be used for transplants?

  They may be rejected by the immune system
• What is an advantage of artificial hearts?

  They are not rejected by the immune system
• What are the main treatments for cardiovascular diseases?

  • Stents
  • Statins
  • Replacement valves
  • Replacement hearts
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of stents and statins?

  Stents:

  • Strengths: Quick surgery, long-term effectiveness
  • Weaknesses: Surgical risks, thrombosis risk

  
  

  Statins:

  • Strengths: Lower bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol
  • Weaknesses: Long-term use, potential side effects
• What are the types of heart valve replacements?

  • Biological valves (from humans, pigs, cows)
  • Mechanical valves (man-made)
• What are the challenges of heart transplants?

  • Finding a suitable donor heart
  • Risk of rejection by the immune system
• What are the complications of heart failure?

  • Heart can't pump blood effectively
  • May require heart transplant
• What are the risks associated with artificial hearts?

  • Temporary solution
  • Not as effective as biological hearts