!! 4.2.2.4, Coronary heart disease

Question 1

what are cardiovascular diseases

Answer 1

diseases of the heart and blood

e.g coronary heart disease

Question 2

what is coronary heart disease

Answer 2

layers of fatty material build up inside the coronary arteries causing them to narrow

this reduces the flow of blood resulting in a lack of oxygen for the heart muscle

heart muscle cells can’t respire

in extreme cases can result in a heart attack, where the heart is starved of oxygen and can be fatal

Question 3

2 treatments of coronary heart disease

Answer 3

statins

stents

Question 4

what are statins

and their advantages and disadvantages

Answer 4

drugs that reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood

to decrease the rate that fatty material builds up in the arteries

ADVANTAGES: effective treatment, proven to reduce risk of coronary heart disease

DISADVANTAGES: some unwanted side effects (such as liver problems and muscle pain)

Question 5

what is a stent

in which cases would they be chosen over statin

their advantages and disadvantages

Answer 5

a tube inserted into a coronary artery to keep it open

used when coronary heart disease causes total blockage of a coronary artery

ADVANTAGES: blood can flow normally through the artery

DISADVANTAGES: won’t prevent other regions of the artery from narrowing and doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the disease

Question 6

2 types of coronary heart diseases where the valves are faulty

Answer 6

where the valves are don’t fully open so the heart has to pump extra hard to get the blood through, can cause the heart to enlarge

when the valves are leaky, can cause the patient to feel weak and tried

Question 7

treatments for faulty heart valves

Answer 7

can be replaced with either mechanical (made from metal) or animal valve e.g from a pig

adv: mechanical valves can last a lifetime
dis: can cause blood clots so patients need anticlotting drugs

adv: patients don’t need to take anticlotting drugs
dis: animal valves don’t last as long so may need to be replaced

Question 8

what is heart failure

Answer 8

cardiovascular disease where the heart can’t pump enough blood around the body

Question 9

treatments for heart failure

their advantages and disadvantages

Answer 9

donated heart/ donated heart and lungs

disadvantages; puts major strain on the body, not enough donated hearts available for every patient, patients must take immunosuppressants to stop their immune system rejecting the heart

artificial heart

disadvantages; temporary solution while waiting for heart transplant or to give heart a rest to aid recovery, increase risk of bloodclotting, can only be used relatively short time