Biology: Cardiovascular disease

What is Cardiovascular disease?

• A general condition which affects the heart or blood vessels.

• Other

Coronary heart disease results in.....

• Reduced blood flow to the arteries.

• A reduced amount of oxygen being provided to the heart muscle.

• It causes pain, heart attacks or death.

Cardiovascular disease can be treated, name 3 types.

• Drugs.

• Artificial devices (e.g. pacemaker).

• Transplants.

If a heart valve becomes faulty, what is the impact?

• The heart becomes less efficient at pumping blood to the lungs & the rest of the body.

• Faulty valves may not open fully.

• Faulty valves may develop a leak.

Faulty valves can lead to shortness of breath and death, how can they be replaced? For both types, medication will need to be taken by the patient.

• Mechanical valves - made from metals.

• Biological valves - from human donors, cows or pigs.

Statins are drugs which reduce blood cholesterol. Why do they lower the risk of heart disease or suffering a heart attack?

• If the cholesterol level is reduced, the fatty material building up in the arteries in also reduced.

• Coronary arteries are less likely to become blocked.

What is heart failure? And what treatments are available?

• The heart can no longer pump enough blood for the body's needs.

• Heart transplant

• Heart and lung transplant