Atherosclerosis Case Study Essay

This chronic disease is also known as atherosclerosis and is characterized as a fatty plaque build-up in arteries which blocks the blood flow to the vital organs in ours bodies; with the heart being the main target. This potentially life-threatening blockage results in starvation and deprivation of oxygen enriched blood and vital nutrients that are necessary for the heart to maintain proper function; and that is being able to pump blood efficiently. Typically, it is said that the process of heart disease may begin during childhood years of an individual’s life. In a healthy individual; our arteries start out smooth and elastic, allowing effortless blood flow to our hearts and throughout our bodies. As this cholesterol-laden plaque begin to accumulate within the walls of blood vessels (which may be caused by a poor diet, and lack of physical activity, or simply hereditary) the vessels become inflamed. With the body’s effort in healing itself, this destructing plaque begins to release substances such as lipoprotenins, calcium, and inflammatory cells throughout the bloodstream.

Coronary artery disease affects the circulatory system. Chemically, this disease develops when blood vessels that are necessary for living become badly damaged. Cholesterol plaques become inflamed in the arteries. The most common signs and symptoms are chest pains which tighten the chest as if someone were standing on it. Shortening of breath also affects those with this disease because the heart is unable to supply enough blood. A major sign of this disease is having a heart attack. This indicates an artery that is completely blocked. This disease is caused by damaging the coronary arteries by smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. To diagnose this disease, medical physicians will perform physical exams and examine blood

You need to explain to him the s/s of blood clotting (since he may have too low an INR d/t treatment and he needs to know this). Explain that his a-fib puts him at risk for blood clots.

Coronary Artery Disease, also known as CAD, is the most common form of heart disease. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Coronary Artery Disease obstructs the blood flow in vessels that provides blood to the heart which is caused by the buildup of plaque on the artery walls. (Rogers, 2011, p.87) (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Plaque is a yellow substance that consists of fat substances, like cholesterol, and narrows or clogs the arteries which prevents blood flow. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Plaque can build up in any artery but usually favors large and medium sized arteries. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009)

The patient described in this paper will be referred to as Jonathan Toews to ensure patients confidentiality. Jonathan Toews, is a sixty three year old man, born on August 23rd 1956, and lives with his eldest son. He was married two times and has three children, two children from his first marriage and one from his second. He lives in northern Ontario but originally was not born here, he moved here shortly following his second divorce. He is of Italian decent and is a practicing catholic. The patient weights 95kgs, is 178cm tall and has a body mas index (BMI) of 28.3. He said he used to play soccer when he was younger but since does not keep active or get the recommended amount of daily activity. Jonathan says he smokes around one pack or cigarettes a day and has a alcoholic drink roughly three to four drinks per week, he also describes that he eats fast food a few times a week. The patient now has congestive heart failure as a consequence of his MI. He was transferred from another hospital at the beginning of November and currently is waiting for more testing before he can be discharged from the hospital or moved to another facility. The patient has some known comorbidities that can exacerbate his CHF, this includes smoking, obesity, and noncompliance with medications.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the commonest heart disease in the United States1. Approximately, 29% of patients with Myocardial Infarction ( MI ) present with ST- elevation Myocardial Infarction ( STEMI )2. STEMI is the result of complete occlusion of a major epicardial coronary artery due to thrombus formation. STEMI from a small coronary artery presenting as substantial EKG abnormalities similar to occlusion of a major artery and hemodynamic instability is a rare entity. The epidemiology, typical clinical presentation, outcomes, and optimal management in this group of patients are not sufficiently known.

In Falcon’s report “Heart Disease” he anatomically describes the heart as “a fist sized organ located in the lower left quarter of the chest…[consisting] of four chambers: the right and left atria on top and the right and left ventricles at the bottom” (Falcon). While the heart is one of the smaller organs in the body, it has an enormous and important job to do; deliver nutrient carrying blood to the tissues in the human body. In people with heart disease, the heart is impeded and cannot efficiently deliver nutrients and oxygen to structures such as our muscles or our brain. This is one of the reasons that heart disease is so deadly; when our body structures are deprived of necessary nutrients, they begin to breakdown. The term “heart disease” encompasses a wide variety of

Heart failure is when the heart cannot keep up with the immense demands placed on it by the body, and it starts to compensate causing remodeling of the cardiac cells due to stronger cardiac contractions. The heart chambers expand so they can fill with more blood to pump to the rest of the body, and the heart rate will increase to meet these demands (American Heart Association, 2015). Heart failure is the inability of the heart to fill and pump effectively enough to meet the metabolic demands of the body resulting in pulmonary and venous congestion (Lam et al., 2007). Over time the body can no longer compensate, and the person becomes symptomatic and progresses into worsening heart failure. The pulmonary and venous congestion or “fluid overload” will manifest itself in the form of lower extremity edema, shortness of breath, fatigue and even chest pain, which interferes with quality of life (Colucci, 2015).

Heart failure is more commonly diagnosed in the elderly population. There are ways to help manage heart failure like lifestyle modifications and use of pharmacology, and assessment for surgical intervention. Treatment of heart failure requires intensive medical, dietary, behavioral, and lifestyle modification to achieve improved quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, and decreased mortality (Singh, H., McGregor, Nigro, Higginson, and Larsen, 2014).

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

One source of great mortality and morbidity in Europe and North America is the cardiovascular disease, Atherosclerosis. It is recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease of the intermediate and large arteries characterized by the thickening of the arterial wall and is the primary cause of coronary and cerebrovascular heart disease (Wilson, 2005). It accounts for 4.35 million deaths in Europe and 35% death in the UK each year. Mortality rate are generally higher in men than pre-menopausal woman. Past the menopause, a woman’s risk is similar to a man’s (George and Johnston, 2010). Clinical trials have confirmed that lipid accumulation, endothelial dysfunction, cell proliferation, inflammation matrix alteration and foam cell formation are

Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a general term for the thickening and hardening of arteries. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a pathological situation in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Plaque is usually made of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease (CVD) around the world. The magnitude of this problem is so high that atherosclerosis claims more lives than all types of cancer combined and the financial burden are considerable1. It a complex, chronic pathological

     Atherosclerosis is one of a group of health problems that define coronary artery disease, oftentimes referred to as heart disease. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of heart disease in the United States. The following is the definition provided by the American Heart Association:

The following summary is an updated case study of a 47 year old male patient, Jim who was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease. The patient did receive information on what CAD is and was informed that test were needed to fully diagnose and be evaluated for underlying conditions (high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes and blockage. I will discuss the type of test needed for this condition and tests for any underlying conditions that are related to this disease. The type of treatment needed to control and lower his risk factor. I will also give the patient information about complementary and alternative medicine so the patient will be well informed about different types of treatment. The patient will be informed about the prognosis of the disease, and the options that the patient has to succeed in the changes in his lifestyle that are needed.

As the population ages heart failure is expected to increase exceptionally. About twenty-two percent of men and forty-four percent of women will develop heart failure within six years of having a heart attack. “Thirty years ago patients would have died from their heart attacks!” (Couzens)