Heart diseases

Question 1

What are the causes of coronary heart disease?

Answer 1

Definition
 Coronary heart disease is a disorder affecting the coronary artery which is either narrowed down or blocked. (artherosclerosis)

Causes
 Narrowing or blocking of coronary artery that disrupt the balance of oxygen supply and oxygen
consumption by cardial cells
 Deposit of cholesterolatherosclerosis
 Risk factors include smoking, DM, obesity, hypertension

Question 2

What is the significance of coronary heart disease?

Answer 2

Significance
 Untreated condition can result in life threatening heart attack
 Symptoms can be silent, early detection is important
 Condition can be prevented and treated in early stage
 If patient encounters situations which demand more cardiac activity such as anxiety during dental
procedures, the oxygen supply may not meet the oxygen demand. This may lead to myocardial
infarction which may lead to necrosis of or damage to that part of heart muscle.

Question 3

What are the treatment forcoronary heart disease?

Answer 3

Treatments
 Lifestyle modification (exercise, low cholesterol diet , smoking cessation
 Medication (statin, antihypertensive. Anticoagulants, nitroglycerin)
 Coronary artery bypass grafting (using a vein grafted from arm/legs to create new pathway)
 Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA - placing inflating balloon within artery)

Question 4

What is rheumatic heart disease?

Answer 4

 An acute, recurrent inflammatory disease, mainly found in children (5-15 y.o.); typically occur 1 5
weeks after a group A beta hemolytic streptococcal infection (usually throat infection), which is regarded as an autoimmune disease with the formation of autoantibodies that cross react with cardiac antigens

 Rheumatic heart disease is a disease of the heart valve following a sore throat. The heart valve is
permanently damaged and scar is present.