Coronary Heart Disease Flashcards
What are the main risk factors of coronary heart disease?
Smoking
Obesity and overweight
Inactivity
High blood pressure
Raised blood cholesterol
Diabetes
Family history of coronary heart disease
Excessive alcohol intake
What is Angina?
Narrowed coronary Artery
Tightness or ache in the chest
Breathlessness, sick feeling, dizziness
Comes on with exertion or emotion
Rest makes it go away (usually 2-10
Minutes)
Treated with sublingual spray that dilates the blood vessels, enabling the heart to get the blood that it needs
What is a heart attack?
Sudden blockage of the coronary artery
Chest pain, feels like indigestion, breathlessness
Looking pale and feeling sick
Can come on at any time
If the pain is still there after 15 minutes call 999!
How does smoking cause coronary heart disease?
Smoking aggravates the lining of the arteries and speeds up the process of atherosclerosis
Carbon monoxide takes the place of oxygen in the blood
Nicotine raises the heart rate and blood pressure transiently
What is recommended for physical activity in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease?
30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week
Regular, moderate intensity activity
Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, etc
Enough exercise to feel warm and slightly short of breath, but still able to hold a conversation
Why does obesity increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart failure?
It can lead to high blood pressure, raised blood cholesterol levels and diabetes
It is caused by excessive calorie intake and inactivity
How does diabetes increase the risk of coronary heart disease?
Uncontrolled blood sugar encourages the build up of fatty deposits within the arterial walls
What may trigger concern if a patient is sleeping in a chair due to breathlessness?
This can indicate heart problems
What happens when blood vessels have a build up of plaque?
A build up of fat in the body can cause plaque on the blood vessels.
The rough surface of a blood vessel covered in plaque can make it more likely for more plaque to build up - fats can break off and attach themselves more easily.
