Cardiac conditions Flashcards
What are cardiac conditions?
A condition that affects the heart or blood vessels.
Usually associated with a build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.
What are the 4 main types of cardiac conditions?
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Aortic disease
Coronary heart disease
- Happens when the blood supply to the heart is blocked or there is a build up of fatty substances (atheroma) in the
coronary arteries - Coronary arteries are the blood vessels supplying the heart with blood
- Can cause angina (chest pan)
- If the artery becomes blocked, it can lead to a heart attack
What are symptoms of coronary heart disease?
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Pain throughout the body
- Feeling faint
- Nausea
How to treat coronary heart disease?
- Lifestyle changes (exercising regularly/stop smoking)
- Medication
- Angioplasty (balloons\stents used to treat narrow heart arteries)
- Surgery
How to help prevent coronary heart disease?
- Eating a balanced diet
- Being physically active
- Not smoking
Stroke
The blood supply to the brain has been disturbed
What are symptoms of a stroke?
(Can be remembered with FAST)
- Face = can drop on one side, may not be able to smile
- Arms = may not be able to lift their arms and keep them raised (due to weakness/numbess)
- Speech = may be slurred/garbled, or may not be able to talk
- Time = dial 999
What is an ischaemic stroke?
(Most common type)
Happen when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain
What is an haemorrhagic stroke?
(Not as common)
Happens when a blood vessel inside the skull bursts and bleeds into and around the brain
- High blood pressure is main cause
What is an haemorrhagic stroke?
(Not as common)
Happens when a blood vessel inside the skull bursts and bleeds into and around the brain
- High blood pressure is main cause
How to treat ischaemic strokes?
- Medication = ‘clot buster’ (thrombolysis)
Alteplase is most effective medication - Theombectomy (emergency procedure removing blood clots and helps restore blood flow to brain)
- Aspirin & other antiplatelets (reduces chance of another clot forming)
- Anticoagulants (help reduce the risk of developing new blood clots in future) includes warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban
- Blood pressure medications
- Statins (reduce level of cholesterol in blood)
How to treat haemorrhagic strokes?
- Surgery (remove blood from the brain and repairs any burst blood vessels)
Peripheral arterial disease
Occurs when there is a blockage in the arteries to the limbs (usually legs)
What are symptoms of peripheral arterial disease?
- Most people don’t show symptoms but the main symptom is pain in the legs
- Hair loss on legs
- Ulcers on feet and legs that don’t heal
- Changing skin colour in legs (turning pale/blue)
- Erectile dysfunction in men
