Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
What are stents
Stents jeep arteries open making sure blood can pas through to the heart muscles keeping the persons heart beating
What is coronary heart disease
Is when the coronary series that supply the blood to the muscle of the heart get blocked by layers of fatty material building up. This causes arteries to become narrow so blood flow is restricted and there is a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle resulting in a possible heart attack
What are advantages of stents
They lower the risk of heart attacks
They are effective for a long time
Recovery time from the surgery is quick
What are disadvantages of stents
Risk of complications during surgery such as heart attacks and infection from surgery
Risk of blood clots near the stent - thrombosis
What do statins do
They are drugs that can reduce bad cholesterol in the blood. This slows down the rate of fatty deposits forming
What is cholestrol
It is a lipid that your body produces and needs to function properly. Too much of a certain type of it can cause health problems. Too much of bad cholesterol causes fatty deposits from inside arteries leading to coronary heart disease
What are the advantages of statins
Reduces risk of strokes, CHD and heart attacks.
Increase amount of good cholesterol in bloodstream. This removes the bad cholesterol in the bloodstream
Prevents other diseases
What are the disadvantages of statins
Long term drugs that must be taken regularly - could forget to take them
Negative side effects - kidney failure liver damage and memory loss
Effect isn’t instant
