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12: Cardiovascular Disease

  • Page ID
    73819
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    Learning Outcomes

    By the end of this chapter you will be able to:

    • Describe how the cardiovascular system works
    • Compare the risk and prevalence of cardiovascular disease
    • Describe the common types of cardiovascular disease
    • Identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease
    • Interpret blood pressure and cholesterol readings

    How does the heart work?

    What happens when a person has a heart attack or a brain attack (stroke)?

    What can you do to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease?

    Can you feel it if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol?

    One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death. Heart disease costs the United States about $363 billion each year from 2016 to 2017. It is important for everyone to understand how their cardiovascular system works and the common types of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

    • 12.1: The Cardiovascular System
      This page provides a comprehensive overview of the heart's function in the cardiovascular system, detailing its anatomical structure and role in circulation. It includes instructions for measuring pulse and respiratory rates, the significance of blood pressure, and the heart's control by the autonomic nervous system. Additionally, it covers heart valves, blood vessels, and introduces CPR as a critical lifesaving technique when cardiac arrest occurs.
    • 12.2: Cardiovascular Diseases
      This page highlights the cardiovascular system's role in supplying oxygen and nutrients, discussing major cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and related conditions like arrhythmias and heart failure. It emphasizes risk factors such as high blood pressure and poor lifestyle choices.
    • 12.3: Treatment for Cardiovascular Diseases
      This page highlights prevention as the key strategy against cardiovascular diseases, focusing on a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise, and avoiding smoking. It stresses the importance of regular health checks for cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, as many conditions may be asymptomatic.
    • 12.4: Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
      This page discusses metabolic syndrome, a combination of conditions that heightens the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, impacting one in three U.S. adults. Key indicators include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol. While lifestyle factors such as inactivity and poor diet can be modified, uncontrollable risks include age, genetics, and specific medical issues, with women over 50 being at heightened risk.
    • 12.5: End-of-Chapter Material
      This page discusses cardiovascular disease as a major cause of death, detailing the heart's role in blood circulation, blood pressure significance, and conditions like arteriosclerosis that affect blood flow. It emphasizes the importance of CPR for heart emergencies and highlights how lifestyle choices can impact the risk of cardiovascular diseases.


    This page titled 12: Cardiovascular Disease is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Kelly Falcone via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.