Diet and Coronary Heart Disease
What is the cardiovascular system?
- Made up of the heart and blood vessels.
- It circulates oxygenated blood around the body using one set of vessels and deoxygenated blood around the body through another set of vessels.
What is cardiovascular disease?
- This is a term used to ‘blanket’ many diseases which occur within the cardiovascular system.
Hypertension
- Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure, it is commonly associated with narrowing of the .
- This causes blood to be pumped with excessive force against the artery walls.
- It is a sign that the heart and blood vessels are being overworked.
- Untreated, hypertension will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point where serious damage can occur.
- Hypertension can be both the cause and effect of atherosclerosis.
- Atherosclerosis can be thought to increase the risk of hypertension by increasing the resistance to blood flow.
- This can occur as atheromata increase friction between the blood and endothelium of the artery.
- Atheromata may also reduce the elasticity of arteries.