cardiovascular disease

• stents keep arteries open

  • stents are tubes that are put inside arteries, they keep them open, making sure blood can pass through
  • stents are a way of lowering the risk of a heart attack with people with coronary artery
  • they are effective for a longtime and a quick recovery
  • there is complications: heart attack, infection, blood clots
• statins reduce cholesterol in the blood

  • essential lipid that your body produces and needs to function - too much can cause health problems
  • too much of this 'bad cholesterol' can cause fatty deposites to form inside of arteries
  • statins are drugs that can reduce the amount of bad cholesteral
• Advantages of statins

  • reduce risk of hearts attacks, strokes, coronary heart disease
  • increase good cholesterol
  • prevent other diseases
• disadvantages of statins

  • long term drug which has to be taken regular
  • negative side effects - kidney failure, liver damage, memory loss
  • takes a while to kick in
• artificial heart

  • mechanical device that pumps blood - temporary or permanent
  • unlikely to be rejected as made from plastic/ metal
• artificial heart

  • mechanical device that pumps blood - temporary or permanent
  • unlikely to be rejected as made from plastic/ metal
  • not as healthy as natural ones - bleeding, infections, blood clots, strokes. Parts could fail - electric motor
• faulty heart valves

  • damaged by heart attcks, infection, old age
  • valve may become leaky allowing blood to flow both directions
  • may replace the valve (humans and animals or mechanical)
  • replacing a valve is worse than a heart
• Artificial Blood

  • used to replace the lost volume of blood- safe and keep people alive even if they lose 2/3 of their red blood cells
  • replace function of the lost red blood cells so no need for a blood transfusion