cardiovascular diseases

• are cardiovascular diseases communicable or non- communicable?


  non-communicable
• 1 type of cardiovascular disease

  coronary heart disease CHD
• What is coronary heart disease?

  layers of fatty material build up inside the coronary arteries
• why does the fatty material build-up cause the coronary arteries to narrow?

  to reduce blood flow in the coronary arteries - lacks of O2 for the heart muscle- heart attack
• 2 treatments for CHD

  statins and stents
• what are stents?


  a tube that can be inserted in the coronary artery to keep it open- allows blood to flow through the artery normally
• will a stent prevent the coronary artery from narrowing?

  NO
• what are statins?


  Cholesterol-lowering drugs that reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream slowing down the rate of fatty material-building
• one example of an unwanted side effects statins contains

  liver problems
• whats some problems with heart valves?

  1. they might not open fully due to stiffness so the heart has to pump extra hard to get blood to flow through causing the heart to enlarge
  2. valves can be leaky causing the patient to feel weak and tired
• 2 types of valve replacements

  1. mechanical value- made of metal
  2. biological valve - valve from an animal - pig
• why are mechanical values good

  they can last a lifetime but increase the risk of blood clots- patient has to take anticlotting drugs
• why are biological valves good?

  dont need to take drugs but don't last a lifetime and may need to be replaced
• TRUE OR FALSE Sometimes can cardiovasuclar disease cause the heart not to pump enough blood around the body

  TRUE - causes heart failure
• what is done to prevent heart failure?

  inserting a donor transplant of a heart
• disadvantages of a donor heart transplant

  1. not enough donors
  2. can be rejected so must take immunosuppressant for the heart not to be rejected by the immune system
• another way of preventing heart failure

  an artificial heart - temporary fix until a donor
• disadvantages of artificial hearts:

  • increases the risk of blood clotting
  • not a long-term solution
  • electrical motor can stop working
  • drugs to be taken to thin blood reducing blood clots
• why is too much cholestrol bad?

  fatty material builds up in the arteries causing CHD
• advantages of stents:

  1. effective for a long time
  2. recovery time is quick
  3. lowers the risk of heart attack in people with CHD
• disadvantages of stents:

  1. complications
  2. risks of blood clots near the stents = thrombosis
  3. risks of infections
• what is cholesterol?


  essential lipid that bodies produce to function properly
• advantages of statins:

  1. reduces strokes, CHD, heart attacks
  2. increases HDL cholesterol- removes LDL
  3. prevents other diseases according to studies
• disadvantages of statins:

  1. long term drug taken regularly - could forget
  2. side effects like headaches, kidney failure, liver damage, memory loss
  3. effect isn't instant