Cardiovascular

Diseases
Cardiovascular Disease

▪ Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve

the heart or blood vessels. It's usually associated with a build-up of fatty
deposits inside the arteries (atherosclerosis) and an increased risk of blood
clots.
▪ It can also be associated with damage to arteries in organs such as the
brain, heart, kidneys and eyes.
Examples of
Cardiovascular Diseases
 1. Heart Attack

▪ A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle is cut off from the oxygen it
needs to operate. This happens because the blood flow delivering that
oxygen has been significantly reduced or stops entirely. This is due
to atherosclerosis, or the slow buildup of plaque, which includes fat,
cholesterol, and other substances, in the coronary arteries. Blood clots
can form around the plaque, which can slow or block the blood flow and
cause a heart attack.
Causes

▪ A heart attack occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries

become blocked. Over time, a coronary artery can narrow from the
buildup of various substances, including cholesterol (atherosclerosis).
This condition, known as coronary artery disease, causes most heart
attacks.
▪ During a heart attack, one of these plaques can rupture and spill
cholesterol and other substances into the bloodstream. A blood clot
forms at the site of the rupture. If large enough, the clot can block the
flow of blood through the coronary artery, starving the heart muscle of
oxygen and nutrients (ischemia).
 Symptoms

▪ Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your

chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back
▪ Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain
▪ Shortness of breath
▪ Cold sweat
▪ Fatigue
▪ Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
 Treatment

▪ If you're in an emergency setting for symptoms of a heart attack, you'll be asked

about your symptoms and have your blood pressure, pulse and temperature
checked. You'll be hooked up to a heart monitor and have tests to see if you're
having a heart attack.
Tests include:
▪ Electrocardiogram (ECG)
▪ Blood tests
▪ Chest X-Ray
▪ Exercise stress test
▪ Echocardiogram
 2. Coronary Heart Disease

▪ Disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle. Coronary heart
disease (CHD) normally happens when cholseterol accumulates on the
artery walls, creating plaques. The arteries narrow, reducing blood flow to
the heart. Sometimes, a clot can obstruct the flow of blood to the heart
muscle.
Causes

▪ CHD is believed to start with injury or damage to the inner layer of

a coronary artery.
▪ This damage causes fatty plaque deposits to build up at the site of
the injury. These deposits consist of cholesterol and other cellular
waste products. The accumulation is called atherosclerosis.
▪ If pieces break off or rupture, platelets will clump in the area,
attempting to repair the blood vessel. This clump can block the
artery, reducing or blocking blood flow, and leading to a heart
attack.
Symptoms

▪ Chest pain: People describe it as a squeezing, pressure, heaviness,

tightening, burning, or aching across the chest. It usually starts behind the
breastbone. The pain often spreads to the neck, jaw, arms, shoulders,
throat, back, or even the teeth.
▪ Related symptoms: Other symptoms include indigestion, heartburn,
weakness, sweating, nausea, cramping, and shortness of breath.
Treatment

▪ Quit smoking.
▪ Eat healthy foods.
▪ Exercise regularly.
▪ Lose excess weight.
▪ Reduce stress.
 3. Rheumatic Heart Disease

▪ Damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever,
caused by streptococcal bacteria. The heart valve is damaged by a
disease process that generally begins with a strep throat caused by
bacteria called Streptococcus, and may eventually cause rheumatic fever.
Causes

▪ Rheumatic fever can occur after an infection of the throat with a

bacterium called group A streptococcus. Group A streptococcus infections
of the throat cause strep throat or, less commonly, scarlet fever. Group A
streptococcus infections of the skin or other parts of the body rarely
trigger rheumatic fever.
Symptoms
▪ Fever
▪ Painful and tender joints — most often in the knees, ankles, elbows and wrists
▪ Pain in one joint that migrates to another joint
▪ Red, hot or swollen joints
▪ Small, painless bumps (nodules) beneath the skin
▪ Chest pain
▪ Heart murmur
▪ Fatigue
▪ Flat or slightly raised, painless rash with a ragged edge (erythema marginatum)
▪ Jerky, uncontrollable body movements (Sydenham chorea, or St. Vitus' dance) — most
often in the hands, feet and face
▪ Outbursts of unusual behavior, such as crying or inappropriate laughing, that accompanies
Sydenham chorea
 Treatment

▪ Antibiotics
▪ Anti-inflammatory treatment
▪ Anticonvulsant medications
 4. Congenital Heart Disease

▪ Malformations of heart structures existing at birth may be caused by

genetic factors or by adverse exposures during gestation. The defects can
involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart, and the arteries and
veins near the heart. Examples are holes in the heart, abnormal valves,
and abnormal heart chambers.
Causes

▪ Researchers aren't sure what causes most congenital heart disease, which
develops in the womb. Heredity might play a role in some congenital heart
disease.
Symptoms

▪ Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

▪ A bluish tint to the skin, lips and fingernails (cyanosis)
▪ Shortness of breath
▪ Tiring quickly upon exertion
▪ Swelling of body tissue or organs (edema)
 Treatment

▪ Catheterization
▪ Open-heart surgery
▪ Heart transplant
▪ Medications
5. Peripheral Artery Disease

▪ Disease of the arteries supplying the arms and legs. When you
develop peripheral artery disease (PAD), your extremities — usually
your legs — don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand.
This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking
(claudication).
▪ Peripheral artery disease is also likely to be a sign of a more
widespread accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries
(atherosclerosis). This condition may be reducing blood flow to your
heart and brain, as well as your legs.
Causes

▪ Peripheral artery disease is often caused by atherosclerosis. In

atherosclerosis, fatty deposits (plaques) build up on your artery walls and
reduce blood flow.
▪ Although discussions of atherosclerosis usually focus on the heart, the
disease can and usually does affect arteries throughout your body. When
it occurs in the arteries supplying blood to your limbs, it causes peripheral
artery disease.
Symptoms

▪ Painful cramping in one or both of your hips, thighs or calf muscles after certain
activities, such as walking or climbing stairs (claudication)
▪ Leg numbness or weakness
▪ Coldness in your lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side
▪ Sores on your toes, feet or legs that won't heal
▪ A change in the color of your legs
▪ Hair loss or slower hair growth on your feet and legs
▪ Slower growth of your toenails
▪ Shiny skin on your legs
▪ No pulse or a weak pulse in your legs or feet
▪ Erectile dysfunction in men
 Treatment

▪ Manage symptoms, such as leg pain, so that you can resume physical activities
▪ Stop the progression of atherosclerosis throughout your body to reduce your risk of
heart attack and stroke
Medications:
▪ Cholesterol-lowering medications
▪ High blood pressure medications
▪ Medication to control blood sugar
▪ Medications to prevent blood clots
▪ Symptom-relief medications
6. Stroke

▪ Strokes are caused by disruption of the blood supply to the brain. This
may result from either blockage (ischaemic stroke) or rupture of a blood
vessel (haemorrhagic stroke). Risk factors High blood pressure, atrial
fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder), high blood cholesterol, tobacco use,
unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, diabetes,
Causes

▪ A stroke may be caused by a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or the

leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people
may experience only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain
(transient ischemic attack, or TIA) that doesn't cause permanent damage.
Symptoms

▪ Trouble with speaking and understanding

▪ Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg
▪ Trouble with seeing in one or both eyes
▪ Headache
▪ Trouble with walking
Treatment

▪ Surgical Treatment
▪ Endovascular Procedures