Cardiovascular disease

• Cardiovascular disease


  A general term that refers to diseases of the cardiovascular system, which is the heart and blood vessels
• Coronary heart disease


  When the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart muscle start to get blocked by the buildup of layers of fatty material, causing the lumen of the arteries to become narrower so that less blood can flow through, which means that less oxygen reaches the heart muscle
• Stent


  An expandable tube that can be placed inside the arteries to hold them open, ensuring that the blood can keep flowing
• Stents


  • The surgery is relatively quick and they're effective for a long time
  • There is a risk of the surgery inducing a heart attack or leading to an infection, and a small risk of the patient later developing a blood clot near the stent
• Statins


  Medications that alter the balance of cholesterol in the bloodstream, decreasing the amount of bad (LDL) cholesterol and increasing the good (HDL) cholesterol, lowering the overall risk of not only coronary heart disease but also many other diseases like strokes and heart attacks
• Statins


  • They have to be taken regularly for years and can cause side effects such as headaches and kidney failure
• Faulty heart valves


  When the heart valves get damaged or weakened, either naturally over time or due to other things like heart attacks and infections, causing problems with the valves not opening fully or not closing properly
• Valve replacement


  • Requires surgery and there is an ongoing risk of blood clots
• Heart failure


  When the heart isn't able to pump blood around the body properly anymore
• Artificial hearts

  Man-made mechanical hearts used as a temporary fix until a real biological heart can be found
• Artificial hearts


  • They aren't that good, and there is a risk of the body's immune system rejecting a donor heart
• Sometimes people require a heart and lung transplant if the lungs are also diseased, but this is very complicated surgery and finding a donor heart and lungs is difficult
• Advantages of statins

  • Reduces risk of a stroke, heart attack and coronary heart disease
  • increases amount of HDL cholesterol
• Disadvantages of statins

  • Have to be taken regularly (long-term) risks someone forgetting
  • headaches
  • kidney failure
  • liver damage
  • memory loss