Cardiovascular Disease

Question 1

What is the term cardiovascular disease?

Answer 1

A term used to describe diseases of the heart or blood vessels, for e.g. coronary heart disease.

Question 2

What is Coronary heart disease?

Answer 2

When the coronary arteries that supply the blood to the muscle of the heart get blocked by layers of fatty material building up.

Question 3

What is the danger in having Coronary heart disease?

Answer 3

Arteries 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.

Question 4

What are stents?

Answer 4

Tubes that are inserted inside arteries. They keep them open, making sure blood can pass through to the heart muscles. This keeps the person’s heart beating.

Question 5

What are the advantages of using stents for people with Coronary heart disease?

Answer 5

1. They lower risk of heart attack in people with the diesase.
2. They are effective for a long time and the recovery time from the surgery is quick.

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of using stents for people with Coronary heart disease?

Answer 6

1. Risk of complications during the operation and 2. Risk of infection from the surgery.
2. Also risk of patients developing a blood clot near the stent - called thrombosis.

Question 7

How can too much of the cholesterol “bad” or LDL cholesterol cause health problems?

Answer 7

It can cause fatty deposits to form inside arteries, which can lead to coronary heart disease.

Question 8

How can the amount of “bad” cholesterol present in the bloodstream be reduced?

Answer 8

Drugs called Statins. By reducing the amount of the cholesterol present, it slows down the rate of fatty deposits forming.

Question 9

What are some advantages of using Statins?

Answer 9

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. Statins can increase the amount of a beneficial type of cholesterol (known as “good” or HDL cholesterol) in your bloodstream. This type can remove “bad” cholesterol from the blood.
3. Some studies suggest statins may also help prevent some other diseases.

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of using Statins?

Answer 10

1. Statins are a long-term drug that must be taken regularly. There’s a risk of forgetting to take them.
2. Can sometimes cause negative side effects, e.g. headaches. Some of these side effects can be serious, e.g. kidney failure, liver damage and memory loss
3. The effect of statins isn’t instant. It takes time for their effect to kick in.