cardiovascular disease

• Heart


  Muscular pump that needs oxygen for aerobic respiration to contract
• Coronary arteries


  • Supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle
  • May become blocked by a build-up of fatty material caused by certain kinds of 'bad' cholesterol
  • As the fatty material increases, one or more coronary arteries narrow and can become blocked
• Blockage builds up in coronary arteries


  Amount of oxygen reaching the heart muscle is reduced
• Reduced oxygen reaching heart muscle

  Person will develop chest pain, and if left untreated, a heart attack is the result
• Heart attack


  Can cause damage to, or death of the heart muscle. Part of the heart muscle, or the whole heart, will die
• Statins

  Drugs that help to lower cholesterol in the blood by lowering its production in the liver
• Statins

  • Prescribed for people with heart disease or who have a high risk of developing it
  • Need to be taken long-term
  • Cholesterol levels will rise again if a person stops taking them
  • Not suitable for people with liver disease, or pregnant or breast feeding women
• Some studies have raised concerns regarding the side effects of statin use, while others believe they can bring additional positive benefits
• Some patients taking statins often experience side-effects such as headaches and memory loss
• There have been reports of statins being linked with type 2 diabetes and liver damage
• Other people argue that statins should be used more widely as they may protect against other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, but further research is needed
• Stents


  Devices inserted into coronary arteries that are blocked or narrow to restore and maintain blood flow
• Stent insertion procedure

  1. Coronary arteries stretched open

  2. Stent inserted

  3. Blood flow restored and maintained
• Stents


  • Used where drugs are less effective
  • Offer a longer term solution
  • Made from metal alloys
  • Do not lead to an immune response in the patient
• Around 75 000 stent operations are carried out each year
• Risk factors for stent operations

  • Patient's age
  • Patient's general health
  • Whether the patient has had a heart attack
• Stent operation


  • Safe as it does not involve surgery
  • Risks include bleeding, heart attack or stroke