Cardiovascular Disease - FAQs

How do the cardiovascular and respiratory systems work together?

The cardiovascular and respiratory system work hand in hand, with blood flowing in a way similar to the shape of the number 8. From the right side of the heart, blood is pumped up to the lungs where our blood is oxygenated through a process of gas exchange. But what is it exchanging?

It’s actually the waste products! As we exhale, any waste products, such as carbon dioxide, are removed from the blood and breathed out.

After this process, the blood returns to the heart for a final big pump so oxygenated blood can travel around the body through blood vessels to provide oxygen to organs and tissues. The circle is complete when the blood travels through our veins back to the right side of the heart to be oxygenated again.

How are the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems connected?

Our food is broken down in our digestive system. Blood that flows through this system can pick up any nutrients. The blood also provides oxygen to our digestive system which is essential as it is needed to break down our food. The blood gets the oxygen from our lungs.

So in simple terms, the cardiovascular system is like a transport system, picking up nutrients and oxygen and delivering them where needed. Our respiratory system is a system to replenish the blood with oxygen and remove waste and chemicals such as carbon dioxide which is produced during food breakdown and in lactic acid during exercise. Our digestive system gathers nutrients and energy from the food we eat.

What are the symptoms of cardiovascular heart disease? 

Symptoms include:

  • Chest pain

Due to restricted blood flow to the heart. 

  • Lightheadedness/dizziness

Due to a reduction in blood flow to the brain.

Feels like your heartbeat is racing and pounding.

  • Breathlessness

 Finding it difficult to breathe during normal everyday tasks.

What are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease? 

  • High Blood Pressure

Chronic high blood pressure for a long period of time damages the blood vessels due to the constant pressure and force of the blood flow.

  • Diabetes

 Having high blood sugar can damage the walls of our blood vessels.

  • Smoking

Nicotine is a substance that increases heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in damage to the blood vessels.This can cause plaque to build up easier.

  • Unhealthy diet

Eating excessive carbohydrates and unhealthy fats (also known as low-density Eating excessive carbohydrates and unhealthy fats (also known as low-density lipoproteins) contributes to the fatty deposits in our blood vessels.

  • Lack of exercise

According to NHS, not exercising enough can lead to conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. Exercising is great for the body as it helps keep the blood pumping around the body to deliver oxygen to deprived regions and help remove waste. Even during injury, a steady blood flow will provide vital support to injured areas ultimately decreasing the recovery time1.

How can you prevent heart disease? 

Choose a healthy lifestyle: 

  1. Having a healthy diet and a high intake of fibre, fruits and vegetables.
  2. Try to exercise regularly- starting with a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day. 
  3. Keeping alcohol consumption at a low level to avoid damage to blood vessels.
  4. Quit smoking as the chemicals in cigarettes can cause irreversible damage to our blood vessels and increase your risk of developing blood clots (NHS).

What is the treatment for cardiovascular heart disease?

Treatments include:

  • Lifestyle changes

 Try to eat a more balanced diet rich in fibre, fruit and vegetables. Stop smoking and start exercising more.

  • Medications

Statins reduce cholesterol levels and plaque (fat) build up in our blood vessels. Medications vary for different types of heart disease.

  • Surgery

Angioplasty, more commonly known as balloon stent. This involves a fine needle which is inserted into the restricted blood vessel and a ‘balloon’ is blown up to be able to put a stent in place to widen the blood vessel so more blood can flow through.

How is cardiovascular heart disease diagnosed? 

Cardiovascular heart disease is diagnosed through the patient noticing signs and symptoms such as chest pain and dizziness. The next stage would be a referral to a health professional who will carry out various tests. One of which are blood tests to check for cholesterol levels and harmful levels of carbon dioxide.

Another test is a physical examination which includes an ECG which, in simple terms, records your heartbeats through detecting electrical signals which then can be reviewed and monitored for any abnormalities in the heart beat. The health professional then reviews all data and will ask if you have any family history of cardiovascular heart disease.

What is rheumatic heart disease? 

According to the World Heart Federation, rheumatic heart disease is when the blood valves have been damaged due to having rheumatic fever. This is caused when your own immune system attacks the body in response to a bacterial infection.

What are the warning signs of heart attack and stroke?

Heart attack

Severe chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, pain spreading through the upper part of my body and vomiting.

Stroke

The acronym FAST

Face: face dropping to one side 

Arm: numbness in arms and unable to move them due to weakness

Speech: slurred speech, finding it hard to speak

Time: Get medical help immediately and contact emergency services

What are the different types of heart disease?

Heart Attack

This is caused by blood being unable to reach the heart due to a blockage. This could be down to several factors such as plaque (fat) buildup in the arteries. Arteries are the largest blood vessels in our body and one of the most important.

Angina

Angina is one of the main cardiovascular conditions where people suffer from chest pain as a result of less blood being able to get to the heart, again due to plaque buildup in the blood vessels.

Stroke

A stroke is caused by restricted blood flow to parts of the brain, meaning less oxygen can reach our brain. This is a very serious condition which needs to be treated as soon as possible.

How many people are affected by cardiovascular diseases?

According to the World Health Organisation, it caused around 17.9 million deaths in 2019 which is around 32% of the world’s population.

What is the link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke? 

Diabetes is associated with high blood sugar levels which damage our blood vessels, and in turn can cause heart disease and blood being unable to reach our brain, resulting in a stroke. Diabetes also causes an increase in harmful proteins in the body that contributes to the damage in the blood vessels, such as inflammatory proteins. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance made by your liver.

It is a marker of inflammation in your body, which is increased in diabetes. Elevated levels of CRP in the body results in stiff blood vessels and an increased deposition of fatty lipids from your diet onto the blood vessel walls. This results in hypertension and atherosclerosis.2

Why does diabetes increase your risk of heart disease?

Diabetes can cause high blood sugar levels which damage our blood vessels. Diabetes also increases our blood pressure as a result of narrowing of the blood vessels. This causes severe damage to our blood vessels leading to fatal conditions, such as heart attacks, if not managed properly.

What are the symptoms of heart disease in people assigned female at birth (AFAB)? 

It is important to understand that people have different symptoms in almost all diseases. Symptoms include:

  1. People assigned male at birth (AMAB) are more likely to experience chest pain as a symptom whereas people AFAB are more likely to feel discomfort in their neck, shoulder, upper back, upper belly or jaw.
  2. Lightheadedness/dizziness: Due to not enough blood being able to reach our brain.
  3. Heart palpitations: Feels like your heartbeat is racing and pounding.
  4. Breathlessness: Finding it difficult to breathe and getting out of breath during normal everyday tasks.

Is this patient having a stroke? 

The acronym FAST:

Face: face dropping to one side 

Arm: numbness in arms and unable to move them due to weakness

Speech: slurred speech, finding it hard to speak

Time: Get medical help immediately and contact emergency services

What factors increase your chances of heart disease or stroke if you have diabetes? 

High Blood Pressure

Having high blood pressure for a consistent time damages our blood vessels due to the constant pressure and force of the blood that is flowing through them.

Smoking

Damages our blood vessels and causes plaque to form more easily.

Unhealthy diet

Having lots of carbohydrates and fats contribute to the fat build up in our blood vessels. 

Lack of exercise

Not exercising enough can lead to conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. Doing exercise is great for the body as it helps keep the blood pumping around the body and get oxygen to deprived regions, helps remove waste products and provide vital support to areas that are injured (NHS).

What clinical trials for heart disease and stroke are looking for participants?

The National Institute of Health Research is carrying out a number of trials. The link will direct you to the current trials. Search Cardiovascular Disease in the search box on the website: https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/

Could atherosclerosis already be clogging your arteries?

Atherosclerosis (atheroma meaning soft fat and sclerosis is hardening of the fat) is a term which is used to describe the build up of fat which eventually turns into a plaque and causes severe problems such as heart attacks and angina due to there being a narrower space for blood to flow through.

How can you lower your chances of a heart attack or stroke if you have diabetes? 

Diabetes UK suggests that keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels and having a balanced diet (with fibre). Keeping cholesterol levels low will also help reduce the amount of plaque (fat) build up in our arteries and medication can be taken such as statins to reduce this. However, moderate exercise will help a vast amount too.

Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack? 

According to the British Heart Foundation, taking vitamins does not help prevent a heart attack and you are advised not to take vitamins unless prescribed by your doctor. Otherwise the best way to have vitamins is through a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fibre.

How do doctors diagnose heart disease in people with diabetes?

Cardiovascular heart disease is diagnosed through the patient noticing signs and symptoms such as chest pain and dizziness. The next stage is a referral to a medical profession who would carry out a variety of tests. One of which is blood tests to check for cholesterol levels and checking for harmful levels of carbon dioxide.

Another test is a physical examination which includes an ECG which in simple terms records your heartbeats through detecting electrical signals which are then reviewed and monitored for any abnormalities in the heart beat. The health professional then reviews all data such as the blood test, ECG and asks if you have any family history of cardiovascular heart disease.

Does aspirin protect a person from Cardiovascular disease? 

Aspirin can help with blood flow but it is most commonly prescribed after you have had treatment to remove plaque buildup in the blood vessels.

What medicines, such as aspirin or a statin, will help protect your heart? 

Aspirin can help with blood flow but it is most commonly prescribed after you have had treatment to remove plaque buildup in the blood vessels. Statins are used to reduce cholesterol levels and reduce plaque (fat) build up in our blood vessels.

When diet and exercise aren't enough, should you turn to drugs?

Statins could help to reduce cholesterol levels but it is best advised to contact your doctor to seek medical help and see what your doctor would advise in advanced stages.

Can short bursts of activity help reduce diabetes risk? 

Yes, according to Diabetes UK, it can help you lose weight and lower cholesterol levels as well as keep blood sugar levels at a lower level due to the body being more sensitive to insulin.

Does high fructose corn syrup fuel diabetes?

It could be one factor, as it could increase the body to become more resistant to insulin, but this does not mean it is the only factor fueling diabetes.

Could carrots help prevent type 2 diabetes?

They can't prevent type 2 diabetes on their own. Nevertheless, carrots do have lots of vitamins and minerals and so can play a part in a healthy, balanced diet.

Coffee bean pill to combat type 2 diabetes?

Research on the coffee bean pill are still in early stages so it cannot be recommended to the wider public yet.1

References

  1. Nikpayam, O., Najafi, M., Ghaffari, S. et al. Effects of green coffee extract on fasting blood glucose, insulin concentration and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies.Diabetol Metab Syndr 11, 91 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-019-0489-8
  2. Leon BM, Maddox TM. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Epidemiology, Biological Mechanisms, treatment recommendations and future research [Internet]. World journal of diabetes. Baishideng Publishing Group Inc; 2015. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4600176/

Mansi Patel

Bachelor of Science - BS, Biomedical Sciences, De Montfort University, England
I enjoy making science more accessible to those with non-scientific backgrounds, and this internship has given me the opportunity to do so. I am also a co-founder of a university career chat series. I enjoy spending my free time with family and friends, especially after all of these lockdowns. Cardiovascular Science is a particular interest of mine, and I find it fascinating. I really hope you enjoy reading my articles!

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