B2 Cardiovascular Disease (page 34) Flashcards
What is Cardiovascular disease?
it is a term used to describe diseases of the heart or blood vessels, (e.g. coronary heart disease.
What are stents?
they keep Arterites open.
How are corony arteries blocked?
it is when the coronary arteries that supply the blood to the muscle of the heart get blocked by layers of fatty material building up.
This causes the arteries to become narrow, so blood flow is restricted and there’s a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle - this can result in a heart attack.
What are stents, and what are they used for?
Stents are tubes that are inserted inside arteries. They keep them open, making sure blood can pass through to the heart muscles. This keeps a person’s heart beating (and the person alive).
What will a Stent help with?
it will help by lowering the risk of a heart attack in people with coronary heart disease.
How long are stents affective for?
they are effective for a long time and the recovery time from the surgery is relatively quick.
What risks are there with a stent?
there is a fisk of complications during the operating e.g. heart attack, and a risk of infection from surgery. There is also the risk of patients developing a blood clot near the stent. This is called thrombosis.
What can build up in the artery?
deposits of fat build up. The space in the centre of the artery shrinks, so it’s harder for blood to pass through (see diagram on page 34 of artery with fat build up)
What is the purpose of a stent?
The stent pushes artery wall out, squashing fatty deposit, and will create morespace in the centre of the artery for blood to pass through. (see page 34 diagram).
What are Statins?
They reduce Cholesterol in the Blood. Statins are drugs that can reduce the amount of ‘bad chloesterol’ present in the bloodstream. This slows down the rate of fatty deposits forming.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an essential lipid that your body produces and needs to function properly.
Too much of a certain type of Cholesterol can cause health problems, what is this called?
LDL Cholestrol is known as bad cholesterol. (low-density lipoprotein)
Having too much LDL Cholestrol (low-density lipoprotein - bad cholestrol) in the blood stream can cause what to happen in the body?
can cause fatty deposits to form inside the arteries, which can lead to coronary heart disease.
What are the Advantages of Statins?
1) by reducing the amount of ‘bad cholesterol’ in the blood, statins can reduce the risk of strokes, coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
2) As well as reducing the amount of ‘bad cholesterol, statins can increase the amount of beneficial type of cholesterol (known as good, or HDL cholesterol) in your blood stream. This type can remove bad cholesterol from the blood
3) some studies suggest that statins may also help prevent some other diseases.
(HDL cholesterol means high-density lipoprotein)
What are the Disadvantages of Statins?
1) Statins are a long-term drug that must be taken regularly. There’s a risk that someone couldforget to take them.
2) Statins can sometimes cause negative side effects, e.g. headaches. Some of these side effects can be serious, e.g. kidney failure, liver damage andmemory loss.
3) The effect of statins isn’t instant. It takes time for their effect to kick in.
(make sure you are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of stents and statins, as it may come up in your exam).
