CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Course overview

THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THE HEART AND ITS BLOOD VESSELS. A WIDE ARRAY OF PROBLEMS CAN ARISE WITHIN THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM, A FEW OF WHICH INCLUDE ENDOCARDITIS, RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE, AND CONDUCTION SYSTEM ABNORMALITIES. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, ALSO KNOWN AS HEART DISEASE, REFERS TO THE FOLLOWING 4 ENTITIES: CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD) WHICH IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS CORONARY HEART DISEASE (CHD), CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE, PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE (PAD), AND AORTIC ATHEROSCLEROSIS. CAD RESULTS FROM DECREASED MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION THAT CAUSES ANGINA DUE TO ISCHEMIA AND CAN RESULT IN MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (MI), AND/OR HEART FAILURE. IT ACCOUNTS FOR ONE-THIRD TO ONE-HALF OF ALL CASES OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE IS THE ENTITY ASSOCIATED WITH STROKES, ALSO TERMED CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENTS, AND TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACKS (TIAS). PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE (PAD) IS ARTERIAL DISEASE PREDOMINANTLY INVOLVING THE LIMBS THAT MAY RESULT IN CLAUDICATION. AORTIC ATHEROSCLEROSIS IS THE ENTITY ASSOCIATED WITH THORACIC AND ABDOMINAL ANEURYSMS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND THE ROLE OF THE MEDICAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THESE CONDITIONS.