An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in a section of the aorta that can be caused by hardening of the arteries, genetics, aging, inflammation, infections or injuries. The aorta is the body's main artery that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The section of the aorta that has the aneurysm is usually very overstretched and weak. Therefore, it can easily burst. But if the aorta bursts, it can cause serious bleeding that can quickly lead to death.
The wall of the aorta is normally very elastic, so it has the ability to stretch and then shrink back as needed to adapt to blood flow. But some medical problems, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, weaken the artery walls. These problems, as well as wear and tear that normally occur with aging, can produce a weak aortic wall that bulges outward.
Most aortic aneurysms don't cause any symptoms. People who do have
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If you have a large or fast-growing aneurysm, you need to go into surgery to have it fixed. A doctor will repair the damaged part of the blood vessel during open surgery or a basic invasive procedure. Small aneurysms hardly ever rupture and are usually treated with high blood pressure medicine. For example, beta-blockers would be the medicine used in many cases, if the aneurysm is small and not ruptured. It helps to lower blood pressure and stress on the aortic wall. If you do not go through repair surgery or a procedure early on, than you will have routine ultrasound tests to see if the aneurysm is growing bigger. Even if your aneurysm doesn't grow or rupture, you're still putting yourself at risk not getting repair surgery or a procedure done, as it may cause you with heart problems. Your doctor may suggest that you exercise more, eat a heart-healthy diet and stop smoking, as well as in some cases you may be prescribed a medicine to help lower high
O’Rourke [13] describes the pulse wave shape as: “A sharp upstroke, straight rise to the first systolic peak, and near-exponential pressure decay in the late diastole.” Arteries are compliant structures, which buffer the pressure change resulting from the pumping action of the heart. The arteries function by expanding and absorbing energy during systole (contraction of the cardiac muscle) and release this energy by recoiling during diastole (relaxation of the cardiac muscle). This function produces a smooth pulse wave comprising a sharp rise and gradual decay of the wave as seen in Figure 5. As the arteries age, they become less compliant and do not buffer the pressure change to the full extent. This results in an increase in systolic pressure and a decrease in diastolic pressure.
The elasticity of the walls is important because it reduces the possibility of them bursting. Also as blood rushes out the heart in high pressure the walls stretch and become wider reducing the
...lood Vessel Stents.” 1-3). Bypass surgery is another option; a blood vessel from somewhere in the body is used to go around the blocked artery. This completely bypasses the blocked artery, so it no longer becomes an issue. Thrombolytic therapy is a method that involves injecting a medication into the artery that will dissolve the clot and allow blood to pass freely through the artery (“Peripheral Artery Disease.” 3).
There are three main types of strokes: ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and transient ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes occur due to an obstruction or clotting of a blood vessel or artery. There are two types of ischemic strokes: embolic and thrombotic strokes. An embolic stroke is when a blood clot or other substance forms in the body, travels through the blood stream, and eventually becomes lodged in a small blood vessel or artery supplying blood to the brain. A thrombotic stroke is when a blockage forms in one or more arteries to the brain. The second type of stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, is due to a rupture of a weakened blood vessel. There are two major ways in which blood vessels can weaken: aneurysm, a ballooning of a weak area in a blood vessel, and arteriovenous malformations (AVM), an abnormal connection of arteries to veins. A hemorrhagic stroke can either be an intraccerebral stroke, a bleed caused by a blood vessel within the brain, or a subarachnoid stroke, an aneurysm rupture in a large artery near the membrane surrounding the brain. Lastly, transient ischemic attacks are temporary traveling clots that cause “miniature” or “warning” strokes.
Yung,, L.M., Laher, I., Chen, Z.Y., Huang, Y. and Leaung , F.P. (2009) Exercise, Vascular Wall and Cardiovascular Diseases. Sports Medicine. Vol. 39, No. 1: 45-63
Coronary heart disease is defined by the hardening of the epicardial coronary arteries. The buildup of plaque in the arteries slowly narrows the coronary artery lumen. In order to better understand the physiology of the disease, it is important to first know the basic anatomy of the human heart. The aorta, located in the superior region of the heart, branches off into two main coronary blood vessels, otherwise known as arteries. The arteries are located on the left and right side of the heart and span its surface. They subsequently branch off into smaller arteries which supply oxygen-rich blood to the entire heart (Texas Heart Institute, 2013). Therefore, the narrowing of these arteries due to plaque buildup significantly impairs blood flow throughout the heart.
Atherosclerosis is the culprit behind coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, which is the most common cause of death worldwide and in the United States10. Among the modifiable risk factors of CHD and stroke is the serum low density lipoprotein level (LDL)8, 11. Several randomized clinical trials have established that reducing the serum LDL level results in a reduction in the future risk of CHD and stroke in a linear relationship, in one study it was estimated that reducing the LDL by 1 % would reduce the risk by 1.7 %.1-4, 7, 9, 13
Myocardial Infarction In Women: What is a Myocardial Infarction? Myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, occurs when there is a blockage in one of the coronary arteries. The heart is a muscle that needs oxygenated blood and nutrients to survive. When a blockage occurs in the arteries, oxygen and nutrients are cut off from the heart for an extended period of time. The blocked portion of tissue in the heart dies.
Strokes. Generally, whenever we hear about someone who suffered from a stroke, the result is never good. Why is it that strokes are so dangerous and why is it so important for providers to recognize them as early as possible? What do we do when we suspect a patient is currently having an active CVA (cerebral vascular accident)? All of these are excellent questions that medical providers need to affluent in.
According to Heart Matters, “This can happen either in the chest (angina) due to lack of blood getting to the heart, or in the calves (claudication) due to lack of blood to the legs. The most dangerous outcome of atherosclerosis occurs if the plaque ruptures (breaks down). The blood flowing over the top of the plaque can clot, causing a blockage in the artery that can result in a heart attack, or it can be carried downstream causing a stroke (Bennet). This informs me that the atherosclerosis can be dangerous with time if it’s not treated how is supposed to be treated on time.
Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease characterized by fat deposits in the arteries causing them to block the normal passage of blood. No one is quite sure how atherosclerosis develops. The plaque consists mostly of cholesterol, phospholipids and smooth muscle cells. They also reduce the size of the lumen of the affected artery which impairs the blood flow of this artery and later on could form a thrombus that will completely occlude the vessel. “Unfortunately, signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis usually don’t develop until at least 70% of an artery’s lumen has become obstructed. Angina is almost always the first symptom to appear.”(Journal: The killer behind CAD,2010). Modifiable factors that could prevent the occurrence of CAD include cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, atherogenic diet like diet high in cholesterol, use of contraceptive and hormone therapy replacement. “Women continue to ...
medications, proper prenatal care, and consulting with doctor about medications are effective precautions during pregnancy. Also, if suffering with diabetes, anemia, hypertension, seizure, or nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy, then these must be controlled. After birth, do not shake baby, which can lead to shaken baby syndrome and brain damage. Do not expose children to lead, this can also lead to brain damage, and give proper immunizations at the right time for the child (Bachrach, 2012).
Throughout history, it seems that medicine and spirituality have been linked in many circumstances. In a study looking at the use of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac patients, spiritual healing was one of many practices patient sought to utilize. In another study, 29% of participants chose to use prayer or premeditation as a way to cope with their chronic illness. In both studies, prayer or meditation was more likely to be used by individuals who had a large social network, as well as support from another person in the same health situation. Based on these studies, it seems that many individuals (not just cardiovascular patients) turn to their spirituality in times of health distress.
Stroke is a commonly known disease that is often fatal. This cellular disease occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by either a blood clot halting the progress of blood cells in an artery, called an Ischemic stroke, or a blood vessel in the brain bursting or leaking causing internal bleeding in the brain, called a hemorrhagic stroke. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and nutrients because the blood cells carrying these essential things are stopped, causing them to die. When the cells in the brain die, sensation or movement in a limb might be cut off and may limit an organism’s abilities. A person with stroke is affected depending on where in the brain the stroke occurs. In other words, symptoms of a stroke
Crime has a substantial influence on everyday life. Theories for criminal behaviour are as old as the types of behaviours themselves. Amongst these theories is the idea of anomie. The sociological notion of anomie is used as a theoretical tool to understand the intersection of social structure, culture and criminal or deviant behaviour. Although the concept of anomie theory has varied between scholars, central to the different versions of anomie theory is the premise that human are normative beings; that people think and act on the basis of commonly held beliefs and traditions. Anomie theory was popularised by the classic works of Emile Durkheim and further explored by Robert K Merton.