Cardiovascular

disease
Fiza Riaz 10-I
Development of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases affect the heart.
Coronary heart disease
The heart is a muscular pump. Like all muscles, the heart needs oxygen to carry out aerobic respiration which provides the energy it needs to contract.
The coronary arteries supply blood, and therefore oxygen, to the heart muscle.
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease
The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is increased by several factors, including:
• smoking
• high blood pressure
• high levels of salt in the diet
• high levels of saturated fat in the diet
High levels of salt in the diet can lead to increased blood pressure. This may damage the blood vessels, making it easier for fatty deposits to build up.
Heart Attacks
A heart attack can happen after a sequence of events:
1. high levels of saturated fats in the diet are linked to an increase in levels of cholesterol in the blood
2. high levels of cholesterol cause fatty deposits to build up in the coronary arteries
3. a blood clot can form on a fatty deposit
4. the blood clot can block a coronary artery
5. some heart muscle cells do not get the oxygen and nutrients they need
6. the person develops chest pain
7. if left untreated then the cells start to die
8. this leads to a heart attack
Coronary heart disease (1)

1. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. These may become blocked by a build-up of fatty plaques
containing cholesterol, resulting in coronary heart disease.
Coronary heart disease (2)

2. If a coronary artery is blocked, the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is cut off. That part of the heart cannot
continue to contract, causing a heart attack.
Treating Cardiovascular disease (1)
Coronary heart disease
Drugs and surgery can help to control coronary heart disease.
There are many lifestyle changes which can even be made after coronary heart disease is diagnosed.
• Lower blood cholesterol by cutting down on fatty foods.
• Stop smoking and other recreational drugs. They can affect heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
• Learn to reduce stress by relaxing.
• Take regular exercise.
• Maintain a healthy Body Mass Index to avoid high blood pressure and reduce the strain on the heart
• Reduce the amount of salt in the diet to help reduce blood pressure.
Treating Cardiovascular disease (2)

There are also medicines which can:

• reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood
• reduce blood pressure
People with very high blood pressure may be prescribed medicines to help lower it. They will probably have to take those medicines
for the rest of their life.
Sometimes the damage to the heart is so serious that the medicines alone are not enough. A doctor will have to evaluate the options
available to decide what is best for the patient. Factors which they need to consider include:
• the likely effectiveness of the treatment
• the risk of causing further harm
• the costs and benefits to both the patient and the health service
Coronary bypass
• The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle cells with food and oxygen so they can respire and release energy for
muscle contraction. If an artery becomes blocked the cells in the area served by that artery become starved of oxygen and
food and may die.
• A coronary bypass is an operation in which veins from the patient's leg are grafted into the heart in order to bypass the
sections of the coronary artery that are blocked. There are four coronary arteries, so the largest number of grafts is called a
'quadruple bypass'.