B6.3.16

Question 1

How can simple lifestyle changes reduce the risk of CVD

Answer 1

. Eating less processed food. Reduces your salt and saturated fat intake. It also reduces your intake of sugar reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes greatly increases the risk of CVD.
. Exercise regularly. This strengthens your heart muscles, and can lead to weight loss. This reduces your risk of high blood pressure.
. Reducing alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking, and particularly binge drinking, increases the risk of a heart attack
. Stopping smoking - smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and a heart attack

Question 2

How are cardiovascular diseases treated medically

Answer 2

Statins - reduce blood cholesterol by preventing its formation; cause the liver to remove more cholesterol from the blood

Antiplatelets - reduce heart attack risk by reducing the stickiness of blood platelets, causing less clotting

Beta blockers - reduce high blood pressure by blocking the effects of adrenaline. This slows your heartbeat and improves blood flow.

Nitrates - widen blood vessels by relaxing blood vessel walls, allowing more blood to flow through at a lower pressure

Question 3

What are the side effects of these

Answer 3

Statins - upset stomachs
Antiplatelets - internal bleeding
Beta blockers - dizziness and tiredness
Nitrates - Headaches and dizziness

Question 4

How is cardiovascular disease treated surgically

Answer 4

Replacing valves that have been damaged by infection or as a result of age. If heart valves don’t close properly, blood can flow backwards. This leads to heart failure, as not enough oxygenated blood reaches the heart muscles.

Widening partially blocked arteries using a stent, which is a wire mesh tube.

Bypassing blocked coronary arteries using blood vessels taken from other areas of the body