A Brief Note On Atherosclerosis And Its Effect On The Body

Many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease cause problems because they lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing and thickening of arteries and develops for years without causing symptoms. It can happen in any part of the body. Around the heart, it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs it is known as peripheral arterial disease. The narrowing and thickening of the arteries is due to the deposition of fatty material, cholesterol and other substances in the walls of blood vessels. The deposits are known as plaques. The rupture of a plaque can lead to stroke or a heart attack. (World Heart Federation).

The blood vessel that Dr. Eltahawy was concerned about was thin and looked as though it would collapse in on itself. First, Dr. Eltahawy tried a balloon catheter. At the top of the catheter was a small balloon that could inflate to maintain a shape or structure of a blood vessel. However, because the blood vessel was so thin, the balloon catheter was not very effective. Instead, Dr. Eltahawy installed a stent. A stent is a wire mesh tube. It is placed in a blood vessel permanently to maintain the shape of the vessel and to allow for the free flow of blood. Throughout this entire independent study, I realize that shadowing in the medical field is less about learning about medicine and more about discovering about whether becoming a doctor is the right step. This independent study has been a step in the right

(Mayo Clinic, 2013) Some surgical procedures used to treat CAD are angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) The angioplasty surgery is when your doctor inserts a catheter to the blockage in the artery and threads the wire through the narrowed arteries. (Opening blocked coronary arteries: New questions about the old answer, nd., p.2) Once the balloon is in place, at the sight of the blockage, the balloon inflates which causes the plaque to crack and the artery to become free from blockage. (Opening blocked coronary arteries: New questions about the old answer, nd., p.2) The other surgical opinion for CAD is coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure done by a doctor using a graft. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) The doctor will construct a graft to direct the blood flow around the blockage using existing blood vessels in the body. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) Due to the fact that this procedure requires open heart surgery, it is usually used for patients with several partial or full blockages. (Mayo Clinic, 2013)

Stent devices were invented in the 1980s and refined in the 1990s. Stenting techniques have transformed and expanded the therapeutic capabilities of angioplasty. There are two classification for stents based on their mode of deployment balloon-expandable and self-expandable. Stents are small mesh tubes which inserted to keep arteries open after angioplasty procedure. Drug -eluting stents have a polymer coating over mesh. This Polymer coatings have been proven to be durable and deliver drug in a uniform and controlled way ( White, Hollier 2007).

During this procedure the Doctor/ Surgeon will numb the arm or groin and embed a(n) catheter into your artery. Then the catheter is threaded through the arterial system until it reaches the coronary (heart) artery. The catheter will be visible on an x-ray screen for the doctor or surgeon can see internally. The Doctor will then thread a very thin wire to the catheter across the blockage (cartilage). Right above this wire, a catheter with an expandable balloon is passed to the blockage. Once the balloon is inflated it will push the plaque to the side to open the artery and allow blood to flow through.In more than most, patients will receive a Stent (which is a collapsed wire mesh tube), this procedure is similar to angioplasty except a stent is permanent and angioplasty is temporarily. This stent is mounted on a special balloon, and is moved over the wire to the blocked area. When the balloon is inflated it opens and locks the stent in the artery, keeping it open. Lastly the balloon and catheter are taken out, and the artery will remain open and your heart will receive the blood it

Atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of arteries, which quietly and gradually blocks arteries, putting blood flow at risk, according to WebMD. Plaque gathers up in the arteries and is composed of fatty substances, calcium, fibrin, cholesterol, and waste products from cells. It can completely or partly cut off the blood in the artery. One of two things can happen in the area where the plaque is building up in the artery: a piece of the plaque may break off or a blood clot may form on the plaque's surface, according to the American Heart Association. Atherosclerosis is a kind of arteriosclerosis, which is simply the thickening and hardening of arteries. It is typically the agent of strokes, peripheral vascular disease, and heart attacks,

1. Angioplasty: Kereiakes and Wetherill write that “angioplasty is a procedure in which a heart doctor inserts a balloon catheter over a thin wire across an artery. The balloon is inflated and compresses the plaque to clear the arteries of any blockage.”(p. 106-107).

Atherosclerosis is a reduction of the arteries triggered by a buildup of plaque. It is also called arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body. As the body gets older, fat and cholesterol can collect in the arteries and form plaque. The buildup of plaque makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. This buildup may transpire in any artery in the body and can result in a shortage of blood and oxygen in various tissues of the body. Pieces of plaque can also break off, causing a blood clot. If left untreated, atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Atherosclerosis is a fairly common problem associated with aging. According to the University of Maryland

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty materials and plaque buildup on the inner lining of arteries. Arteries are blood vessels which carry rich blood to the heart and throughout the body. They’re lined by the endothelium, a thin layer of cells. The endothelium keeps blood flowing by keeping the inside of arteries smooth. However, when Atherosclerosis starts due to high blood pressure, smoking, or high cholesterol, it damages the endothelium. Atherosclerosis tends to happen throughout the body and arises when people grow older. This disease is mainly due to the deposition of fatty materials i.e., cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. The buildup of fat then hardens causing narrowing of the arteries. This

First, Coronary Artery Disease is a serious heart condition that impairs blood flow to the heart muscle. A nurse should have knowledge of the disease process, signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests, and treatments available. The coronary arteries supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart. The main coronary arteries are the left and the right arteries. The left coronary artery. The disease is typically caused by plaque accumulation in the coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis is the formation of plaque affecting layers of the large and midsize arteries. Plaque contains cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and collagen. When plaque accumulates in the arteries it decreases the size of the inside of the arteries. Plaque may surround the

Atherosclerosis a chronic, inflammatory disease of the medium and large arteries, peripheral arteries, carotid and the aorta is a major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of death worldwide. Aherosclerotic plaque formation is a local process in the vessel wall with symptoms in the specific area, though the possibility of plaque formation at the same time and in different areas of the vasculature, regards the disease as systemic one1-3. Furthermore it is recognized that atherosclerotic carotid arteries pose a substantial risk of ipsilateral cerebrovascular events, with reported annual ischemic stroke rates ranging from .35% to 1.3% in asymptomatic patients with moderate stenosis4,5 and from .5% to

Presently, the treatment strategies used are risk factor modification, conventional pharmacology and surgical revascularization. These strategies have hitherto not been of enormous solution as the disease progression still result in recurrent symptoms. This has now led to the exploitation of advances in comprehending the vascular biology of atherogenesis to introduce novel cell and molecular-based therapies. The application of immunomodulation, lipid-lowering agents like statins, gene transfer, antisense technology and so on has resulted in new therapeutic strategies to interrupt cell proliferation and disorder of the vessel wall. In this essay, immunomudulation and lipid-lowering agent shall be discussed.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity and is accounted for almost 1 out of 5 deaths in the world. Atherosclerosis is a chronic heart disease that causes most of the vascular deaths. The fat deposition in arterial walls progressively develop into atheroma leading to restriction in blood circulation thus increasing risk of local thrombosis. Local thrombosis often forms the base that leads to partial or total obstruction of the artery. At the time of birth, the probability of a cardiovascular disease is 47%. The impact of Atherosclerosis on morbidity and mortality and its economic implications created a necessity for new treatments and prevention strategies. It

Coronary angioplasty is a procedure that improves blood flow to the heart by using a special balloon to open a blocked coronary artery from the inside to restore effective circulation to the muscle. To prevent constant blockage, a small tube called a stent may be inserted in the vessel to keep it open. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is often successful treatment. Is an operation in which blood flow is redirected around a narrowed area in one or more of individual coronary arteries. This lets blood flow more freely to individual heart muscle. After heart attack is develop or be at high risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms that could be life threatening. A small device can be put into the chest and connected to the heart to treat an

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world accounting for 17.5 million people, or more than 30% of all deaths. Atherosclerosis leads to coronary artery disease, which is a manifestation of ischemic heart disease [1,2]. When an artery narrows, or becomes blocked, intervention is required to restore normal blood flow. In patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass graft surgery in generally accepted as a better method due to the greater risk of developing recurrent ischemic events. However, in those with a single vessel obstruction, the non-surgical procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to be as effective in treating stenosis [2]. PCI is achieved using balloon angioplasty, which was first introduced in 1977 [1].