1. Cardiovascular Health
Chapter 12

2. Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Blood
Red blood cells (carry oxygen)
Plasma (transports gases)
Platelets (clotting factor)
White blood cells (protect body from infection)
Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Blood

3. Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Blood Vessels
Carry blood away from the heart
Branch into smaller blood vessels called arterioles, which branch into smaller vessels called capillaries
Arteries
Permeate tissues
Allow substances such as nutrients and oxygen to move out of blood and waste products and carbon dioxide to move into blood
Capillaries
Return blood to the heart
Have thinner walls than arteries
Have one-way valves which help prevent the back-flow of blood
Veins
Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Blood Vessels

4. The Major Arteries of the Body - The heart is located to the left of the midline in the chest cavity. - The arteries take blood away from the heart and are shown in red. - Veins return blood to the heart and are shown in blue.

5. Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Heart
Four chambers
Two atria
Two ventricles
Coronary arteries supply heart with blood

6. Cardiovascular System and How it Works: Blood Vessels
Coronary arteries
Arise from the base of the aorta
Bring freshly oxygenated blood to heart muscle
The left and right coronary arteries are the two main coronary arteries.
Branch into multiple arteries that supply the entire heart with blood

7. Cardiovascular Diseases
Hypertension (chronic high blood pressure)
Stroke (blood vessel disease of the brain)
Rheumatic heart disease
Atherosclerosis (blood vessel disease)
Coronary artery disease and stroke result from atherosclerosis

8. Cardiovascular Disease: Atherosclerosis
Plaques (fatty deposits) develop inside arteries.
May begin with an injury to the artery lining
Lipids, especially cholesterol, accumulate at injury sites and cling to the interior of the blood vessel walls.
Scar tissue forms and calcium is deposited, hardening the artery.
Blood clots sometimes develop at this site.
Blood clots are often the cause of heart attack or stroke.
Incidence increases with age.
Not all elderly have extensive plaques and some young people do.

9. Cardiovascular Disease: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Blocked coronary arteries
Result in heart attack
Angina pectoris (chest pain)
One out of every three Americans has one or more forms of CVD.
In CAD, coronary vessels become partly or completely blocked by plaque and/or blood clots.
Peripheral blood vessel disease—blockages occurring in organs and tissues other than the heart

10. Cardiovascular Disease: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Blockage or spasm reduces blood flow to heart muscle and results in angina pectoris.
Angina is felt beneath the breastbone and extends into left shoulder and down left arm.
May also be felt in jaw, neck, or back
Angina pain is described as aching, squeezing, burning, heaviness, or pressure.
Thrombus—stationary blood clot; can block blood vessel where it forms.
Coronary thrombosis—the development of a thrombus that blocks a coronary artery
Embolus—floating blood clot; forms and floats until it blocks a blood vessel downstream
Coronary embolism—produced when an embolus blocks a coronary artery downstream from where it was formed

11. Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack
One-third to one-half of people with CAD are stricken suddenly and unexpectedly with a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
An infarction is an area of tissue that dies due to insufficient blood flow and lack of oxygen.
Arrhythmias
Heart failure
Cardiac arrest
Death
Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack

12. Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack
Congestive heart failure
Heart cannot pump effectively and veins bringing blood to the heart become overfilled with blood.
Causes include CAD, heart defects, and rheumatic heart disease.
Primary signs and symptoms are shortness of breath, retention of fluid, congestion of lungs, and fatigue.

13. Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack
Cardiac arrest
May occur as a result of heart attack
Heart suddenly stops beating
Immediate defibrillation is needed to avoid death.
About 380,000 persons in the United States experience sudden cardiac death each year.

14. Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms
Pressure or heaviness in the chest
Shortness of breath
Profuse sweating
Weakness
Anxiety
Nausea
Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms

15. Cardiovascular Disease: Stroke
A stroke occurs when arteries that supply brain become blocked, preventing blood flow.
May also occur if a blood vessel in the brain bursts (cerebral hemorrhage)
Aneurysm—swollen, weakened blood vessel; may rupture

16. Cardiovascular Disease: Stroke Signs and Symptoms
Weakness, numbness, or paralysis on one side of the body
Loss or dimming of vision
Loss of speech or difficulty speaking or understanding speech
Sudden severe headache
Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness, or episodes of falling
Cardiovascular Disease: Stroke Signs and Symptoms

17. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Modifiable
Unmodifiable
Cigarette smoking
Obesity
Chronic high blood pressure
Sedentary lifestyle
Diabetes mellitus
Anxiety and stress
Abnormal blood lipids
Male gender
Increasing age
Family history of cardiovascular disease

18. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Blood Lipids
Helps remove cholesterol from the body
High levels of HDL lower risk of CAD
HDL or “good” cholesterol
Carries cholesterol to the cells, including those that line arteries
High levels of LDL raise risk of CAD
LDL or “bad” cholesterol
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Blood Lipids

19. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Cigarette Smoking
Significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke (2 to 4 times)
Tend to have reduced HDL levels and increased LDL
Tend to have increased levels of clotting factors
Compounds in cigarette smoke damage blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Cigarette Smoking

20. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: High Blood Pressure
Normal pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg.
Systolic BP—pressure exerted on artery walls when the heart’s left ventricle contracts
Diastolic BP—pressure exerted on artery walls when left ventricle relaxes
Prehypertension—systolic pressure reading between 120 and 139 or diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89
Stage 1 hypertension—systolic reading between 140 and 159 or a diastolic reading of 90 to 99
Stage 2 hypertension—systolic reading of 160 or more or a diastolic reading of 100 or more
Persistently high arterial blood pressure contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: High Blood Pressure

21. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Physical Inactivity
150 minutes/week of physical activity lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.
More than 50% of American adults do not get enough physical activity; 25% are not active at all during leisure time.
Sedentary people are twice as likely to develop CAD as active people.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Physical Inactivity

22. Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Obesity
Obesity doubles the risk of CAD; even being mildly overweight increases this risk.
Diabetes mellitus
Elevated blood glucose levels damage heart muscle, small coronary arteries, and major arteries.
Atherosclerosis occurs more frequently and at an earlier age in diabetics, especially women.
Anxiety and stress
Stress can result in spasms of the coronary arteries, which can contribute to angina attacks.
People with anxiety disorders are 2–6 times as likely to die from a heart attack as people without.
Elevated C-reactive protein
An elevated blood level C-reactive protein can be a positive risk factor for CVD.

23. Maintaining Cardiovascular Health
Refrain from smoking.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly.
Maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels.
Eat less fat and more fiber, practice relaxation, and reduce sodium intake as necessary.