Cardiovascular Disease

• Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
• Cardiovascular diseases are non-communicable.
• Coronary heart disease:

  The coronary arteries branch out of the aorta and spread out into the heart muscles.
• The purpose of the coronary arteries is to provide oxygen to muscle cells of the heart.
• In coronary heart disease, layers of fatty material build up inside the coronary arteries. This causes the coronary arteries to narrow.

  
• The effect of the coronary arteries narrowing is to reduce the flow of blood through the coronary arteries. This results in a lack of oxygen form the heart muscle.
• In extreme cases of coronary heart disease, this can result in a heart attack, where the heart is starved of oxygen.
• Treatment 1 of coronary heart disease: Statins

  Statins are drugs which reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.

  This slows down the rate that fatty materials build up in the arteries.
• Advantages of statins:

  • statins have been proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
• Disadvantages of statins:

  • they have some unwanted side-effects e.g. liver problems.
• In some people, coronary hearts disease can cause almost a total blockage of a coronary artery. These people can be treated using a stent.
• A stent is a tube which can be inserted into the coronary artery to keep it open.

  
• The advantage of inserting a stent is that the blood can flow normally through the artery.
• A stent will not prevent other regions of the coronary arteries from narrowing.
• Stents do not treat the underlying cause of coronary arteries
• Sometimes the heart valves do not fully open so the heart has to pump extra hard to get the blood through. This can cause the heart to enlarge.
• Sometimes the valves in the heart are leaky which can cause the patient to feel weak and tired.
• When heart valves are faulty we can replace then either with a mechanical valve made of metal or a valve from an animal such as a pig.

  
• Mechanical valves can last a lifetime but they increase the risk of a blood clot. Patients have to take anticlotting drugs.
• Valves from animals do not last as long as mechanical valves, and many need to be replaced. However, patients do not need to take drugs.
• In some patients with cardiovascular disease, the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body. This is called heart failure.
• Patients with heart failure are sometimes given a donated heart or a donated heart and lungs.
• There are not enough donated hearts available to treat every patient with heart failure.
• If a patient has a donated heart, they must take drugs to stop the donated heart from being rejected by the body immune system.
• Sometimes a patient with heart failure can be given an artificial heart as a temporary solution while waiting for a heart transplant or to allow their damaged heart to rest.
• Artificial hearts increase the risk of blood clotting. They are not a long-term solution to heart failure.