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Questions and Answers
What is the main consequence of the coronary arteries becoming blocked with fatty material?
What is a potential risk of using stents to keep the arteries open?
What is the benefit of statins in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease?
What is a potential problem with faulty heart valves?
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What is a common issue with taking statins as a solution to coronary heart disease?
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What is a limitation of replacing a heart valve with a biological valve?
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What is a potential risk of using a mechanical heart valve?
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What is a benefit of using an artificial blood solution?
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Why may an artificial heart be used whilst waiting for a heart transplant?
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What is a potential complication of heart surgery?
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Study Notes
Coronary Heart Disease
- Coronary heart disease occurs when coronary arteries become blocked with fatty material, reducing blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart, leading to heart attacks.
Treatment: Stents
- Stents are metal mesh tubes inserted in arteries to keep them open and allow blood to flow through.
- Advantages: effective in lowering heart attack risk, quick recovery time from surgery.
- Disadvantages: risk of heart attack during procedure, infection, and blood clot formation near the stent.
Treatment: Statins
- Statins are drugs that decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of strokes, coronary heart disease, and heart attacks.
- Advantages: increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
- Disadvantages: require continuous use, may produce side effects, and may not have an immediate effect.
Heart Valve Problems
- Faulty heart valves can lead to inefficient heart function due to stiffness or damage, causing blood to flow in the wrong direction.
- Solution: replacing faulty valves with biological or mechanical valves.
- Biological valve: works well, lasts 12-15 years.
- Mechanical valve: lasts long, requires constant medication to prevent blood clotting.
Heart Failure
- Heart transplant is a solution, but donor hearts are not always available.
- Artificial hearts can be used temporarily, but may have limitations (infection risk, mechanical parts wear out, blood clots).
Artificial Blood
- Artificial blood is a salt solution that can keep patients alive even if they lose 2/3 of their red blood cells.
- Advantage: gives time to produce new blood cells.
- Disadvantage: can only be used for short periods, then a blood transfusion is necessary.
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Description
Learn about the causes and consequences of blocked coronary arteries, and how stents can help prevent heart attacks. Understand the benefits and risks of this treatment option.
