Cardiovascular disease

• The cardiovascular system is an organ system that consists of the heart, blood and blood vessels.
• coronary heart disease is layers of fatty material that builds up inside the coronary arteries leading to reduces blood flow.
• stents are tube shaped devices that expand and keep the artery open.
• Stents are good as:

  • the surgery is quick
  • they last a long time
  • have an almost immediate effect
• Statins are medications that reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and increase levels of HDL cholesterol in the blood.
• Statins are bad as they:

  • have side effect e.g. kidney failure and headaches
  • pills have to be taken every day
  • can take months to see positive effects
• Faulty heart valves can lead to:

  • Not enough blood passing through the valve
  • blood could pass backwards
• 2 types of replacement heart valve:

  • Biological heart valve from animals(pigs, cows)
  • Mechanical heart valves which are man made
• Heart failure is when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.
• 3 treatments for heart failure:

  • Transplant with biological heart
  • transplant with mechanical heart
  • medications
• A biological heart may be rejected as the immune system may see it as 'foreign' and build up a defence against it.