Cardiovascular Diseases

This essay will explore the different types of cardiovascular diseases and the risk factors that often come with the diseases. The symptoms and treatment options will also be discussed.

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Essay

"Cardiovascular diseases are all the diseases which affect the heart and the blood vessels.”

This essay will explore what cardiovascular diseases are and what different treatment options exist to treat these conditions. Cardiovascular diseases can be defined as any conditions which affect the heart or blood vessels. This broad term of diseases are usually correlated with a build of fatty deposits in the arteries, an increased risk of blood clots, and damage to the arteries in the brain, heart, kidney or eyes (Nhs).

Cardiovascular diseases can be separated into separate conditions such as coronary heart disease. This disease affects the flow of oxygenated red blood cells that goes to the heart muscle. As the path is blocked or reduced, there is an increased strain to this organ which can lead to anginas, heart attacks, and heart failures. The main symptom of an angina is chest pain due to the restricted blood flow. Heart attacks are when the blood flow to the heart muscle is completely blocked. On the other hand, a heart failure is when the heart is not able to pump enough blood to circulate the entire body.

Another main cardiovascular disease that affects around 15 million people worldwide, is strokes. Strokes are when either the blood supply to the brain is cut off by a blockage (ischemic stroke) , or a blood vessel bursts in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). This prevents blood and oxygen from reaching certain parts of the brain tissue which can lead to brain damage or even death. A third type of stroke is a transient ischaemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke. This mini-stroke happens when the blockage is only partially disrupted and is therefore less grave then a full stroke.

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a type of cardiovascular disease where the arteries are too narrow hence reducing blood flow to the limbs. Most commonly, the disease affects the legs. Symptoms include cramping, numbness or weakness, ulcers and even hair loss to the legs (Mayoclinic).

The last cardiovascular disease that will be discussed is Aortic disease. Aortic diseases are all types of conditions that involve the aorta which is the main artery where blood travels away from the heart and to the body. The most common aortic disease is an aortic aneurysm. This happens when an aorta is weakened which causes it to protrude outwards, this is called an aneurysm. It can happen on any part of the aorta, for instance, if it happens near the chest it is called a thoracic aortic aneurysm. The greatest risk with this disease is that the aneurysm could burst or a layer of the artery wall could tear. In this situation, a surgery would be needed, but not before this happens (Medicalnewstoday).

There are multiple risk factors that affect the likelihood of getting cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure or smoking for instance, can damage and narrow blood vessels. Having high cholesterol also increases the risks of having cardiovascular diseases and it narrows blood vessels and increases the risk of a blood clot forming. Diabetes is another risk factor as the high blood sugar level could cause damage to the blood vessels. Lack of exercise or being overweight/obese each cause other risk factors to happen (Medlineplus).

Fortunately, there are three types of treatments that can help with cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors, these are; medication, surgery and cardiac rehabilitation. Although many types of medications exist, six fundamental medications are the most effective and useful in treatment of these conditions. The first one is Statins which helps lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Low density lipoproteins are known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol as they solidify and create fatty deposits which narrow the arteries. The way Statin works is that it blocks the substances that are needed to make cholesterol. It is mainly used for heart attacks, strokes, bypass surgery and diabetes.

Aspirin is the second type of medication, it helps prevent blood clots. Aspirin works by targeting platelets which would normally connect together when there is a damaged blood vessel though this unfortunately causes blood clots. This medication is not a prevention medication which means that it should only be used when the patient has/had a disease and not when they are experiencing symptoms.

The third medication is Clopidogrel which, like Aspirin, prevents blood clots. In fact, both of these medications are often used together. Clopidogrel makes platelets less ‘sticky’ so that it is harder for them to bind together. The biggest risk or side effect of the medication is there is an increased risk of bleeding as blood clots have a hard time forming.

Warfarin is the third type of medication that prevents blood clots. It is the strongest anti clotting medication out of the three. It works differently than the two previous anticoagulants (blood thinners) as it blocks the liver from using vitamin K to make clotting factors.

Beta-blockers are given to patients at risk of heart attacks, heart failure, anginas, and abnormal heart rhythms. This medication aids in blocking the effects of adrenaline which normally raise blood pressure. It is only used when other medications to lower blood pressure do not work. Some side effects include dizziness, and kidney and liver problems.

Lastly is Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors which are used for heart failures, recent heart attacks and hypertension. The medication functions by preventing the body from producing hormones that make a substance named Angiotensin II that narrows blood vessels (Cleveland Clinic).

In emergency situations or when medicine is ineffective surgery might be the way to go for some patients with cardiovascular diseases. Though there are a multitude of surgeries each done for different conditions, only three will be discussed; coronary bypass, heart valve repair/replacement, and coronary angioplasty/stents.

Coronary bypass is a 3-6 hour procedure done if the patient has a blocked artery in their heart. An incision is done down the center of the chest and along the breastbone. A blood vessel is then taken from the leg, arm or chest and connected below and above the blocked artery to create an alternate path for the blood to flow around the blocked artery. This surgery is only done if stents/angioplasty is not possible but the risk factors are still low at only 1-2% (Mayoclinic).

Coronary angioplasty and stents help with the same issue as coronary bypass except instead of changing the path of the blood flow, this surgery opens the clogged arteries. It does this by inserting a tiny balloon catheter in the blocked blood vessel to increase the space. This procedure is also combined with a stent which is a small wire tube that keeps the artery open. The 30 minutes to 3 hour procedure has a 95% success rate in treating fatty deposits build ups (Mayoclinic).

The third and last surgery is a heart valve repair or replacement. The surgery is done for patients with damaged valves. Though there are different and less invasive techniques to do the surgery, an incision is often done from below the Adam’s apple dozen to right above the navel. The heart then needs to be stopped so that the bad valve can be removed and an artificial valve can be placed in. There are three different types of artificial valves; mechanical, bio prosthetic, and engineered tissue valves (Hopkinsmedicine).

A last way to help after surgeries and to prevent risk factors is cardiac rehabilitation. This is a medically supervised program that has been proven to decrease the chance of a patient dying within 5 years of a heart attack or a bypass surgery by 35%. The program involves exercise, education on cardiovascular diseases, diet and nutrition counseling, and psychosocial support. Though rehabilitation is very effective, not many people end up going there after surgeries or experiencing heart problems as they do not understand the benefits of the program and the word ‘rehab’ has negative connotations that people would not want to be associated with (Centers For Disease Control And Prevention). This social problem needs to be addressed so that there could be a greater prevention of patients experiencing mental health problems or another cardiovascular disease after getting admitted to the hospitals

In conclusion, cardiovascular diseases are all the diseases which affect the heart and the blood vessels. There are three ways to treat cardiovascular diseases, the first being medication, then surgery if medication is ineffective or if it is an emergency situation, and finally cardiac rehabilitation to recover from the entire process.

Bibliography

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8. "How Cardiac Rehabilitation Can Help Heal Your Heart | Cdc.Gov". Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/cardiac_rehabilitation.htm.

9. "The Big 6 Heart Medications". Cleveland Clinic, 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-big-six-heart-medications/.