Cardiovascular disease Flashcards
What is cardiovascular disease?
A term used to describe diseases of the heart or blood vessels e.g. coronary heart disease.
What is coronary heart disease? (2)
When the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart get blocked by layers of fatty material building up, causing narrow arteries and restricted blood flow and oxygen. This may cause a heart attack.
What are stents?
Tubes that are inserted into the arteries to keep them open so blood can pass through.
Advantages of stents: (3)
Lower the risk of a heart attack, effective for a long time and recovery time from the surgery is quick.
Disadvantages of stents: (2)
Surgery complications such as infection or heart attack. There is also a risk of developing a blood clot near the stent called thrombosis.
What is cholesterol?
An essential lipid the body produces for it to function properly, however too much bad cholesterol (LDL) can cause health problems.
What can bad cholesterol do to you if you have too much?
Fatty deposits forming in the arteries which can lead to coronary heart disease.
What are statins?
Drugs that reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream, slowing down the rate of fatty deposits forming.
Advantages of statins: (3)
1) Reduces risk of strokes, coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
2) Increases the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) which can remove bad cholesterol.
3) May prevent other diseases.
Disadvantages of statins (3)
1) Have to be taken regularly .
2) May have negative side effects like kidney failure or memory loss.
3) It takes time for them to kick in.
What may a person with heart failure recieve?
A heart transplant using a donor heart or an artificial heart.
What are artificial hearts?
Mechanical devices which pump blood around a persons body, usually they are only a temporary fix until a donor heart is found but occasionally they are permanent.
Advantage of artificial hearts:
They are less likely to be rejected by the body’s immune system as they are made from metals and plastics and not someone else’s living tissue.
Disadvantages of an artificial heart: (3)
1) Surgery may cause bleeding/ infection.
2) They don’t run as smoothly as natural hearts, there may be an electrical failure.
3) The blood doesn’t run smoothly through the heart, which could lead to blood clots/ strokes.
Why might someone need new valves in their heart? (2)
1) If the valves have been damaged by heart attacks or infection and the muscle tissue stiffens and won’t open properly.
2) The valves become leaky and the blood flows the wrong way.
