Heart problems and treatments

• Coronary heart disease (CHD)

  • The coronary arteries are among the narrowest in the body
  • They are easily blocked by a build-up of cholesterol in their walls
  • This can cut off supply of oxygen and glucose, so that cardiac muscle can't respire and contract, resulting in a heart attack

  Treatment:

  • Stents are metal mesh which can be used to keep coronary arteries open, to allow blood flow
  • Statins can be prescribed to reduce blood cholesterol levels, which reduces the rate of fatty buildup in coronary arteries
• Heart valves:

  • In some people, heart valves can become faulty, preventing the valve from opening fully, or the heart valve might develop a leak
  • This can cause blood to flow backwards and people to become breathless or even die

  Treatment:

  • Faulty valved can be replaced using biological or mechanical valves
  • Biological valves are taken from animals such as pigs
  • Mechanical valves are made from materials such as titanium
• Control of heart rate:

  • The hatural resting heart rate is controlled by a group of cells located in the right atrium that act as a pacemaker
  • If the heartbeat is too slow, not enough oxygen is pumped around the body.

  Treatment:

  • Artificial pacemakers are electrical devices used to correct irregularities in the heart rate
• Heart failure:

  • In the case of heart failure, a donor heart, or heart and lungs can be transplanted
  • Artificial hearts are occasionally used to keep patients alive whilst waiting for a heart transplant or to allow the heart to rest as an aid to recovery