Heart diseases/treatments

• Atherosclerosis is a cause of CHD, where layers of fatty material build up in the coronary arteries, narrowing them. This reduces the flow of blood through the coronary arteries, resulting in a lack of oxygen for the heart muscle.
• Risk factors for CHD

  • Smoking and high blood pressure - damages the lining of artery, leading to a build up of fatty deposits
  • high cholesterol - a fatty substance that is carried in your blood by proteins
  • not enough excercise - increases blood pressure and cholesterol in the blood
• Atherosclerosis can be treated by statins and stents
• Statins - drugs used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood by reducing the amount produced in liver
• ADVANTAGES FOR STATINS:

  • can be used to prevent heart disease developing
  • improved quality of life
• DISADVANTAGES FOR STATINS:

  • long term treatments
  • possible negative side effects
• Stents - mechanical device that is inserted into the coronary arteries to keep them open, restoring blood flow
• ADVANTAGES FOR STENTS:

  • used for patients where drugs are less effective
  • offers long term benefits
  • made from metal alloys so will not be rejected by the patients body
• DISADVANTAGES FOR STENTS:

  • requires surgery under general anaesthesia which carries risk of infection
• Heart transplant - the entire organ is replaced with one from an organ doner
• ADVANTAGES FOR HEART TRANSPLANT:

  • can treat complete heart failure
  • extended life
  • artificial plastic hearts can be used temporarily until a donor is found
• DISADVANTAGES FOR HEART TRANSPLANT:

  • requires major surgery
  • lack of donors available
  • risk of infection or transplant rejection
  • long recovery times