Cardiovascular Disease

*Cardiovascular disease (stroke and heart disease)*
*click on one of the links*
Hardening of arteries (arteriosclerosis)	Heart attacks (myocardial infarcts) and heart disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)	Stroke and cerebral aneurysm

Introduction:

Cardiovascular disease is one of the killer diseases. It has a mortality rate, which in industrialized nations is usually the highest in the nation, yet the underlying process has only recently been better understood. The pathophysiology was studied in detail by the Framingham heart study and is still being studied.

Briefly, there are multifactorial steps that lead to hardening of the arteries, such as an elevation of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), insulin resistance from excessive refined carbohydrate and fat intake, and hypertension (high blood pressure). All of these factors and others mentioned in the chapters below will lead to hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, high blood pressure and strokes. Use the hyperlinks in the table above to get you to the detailed chapters.

References:

1. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed.,2001, Mosby, Inc.: p. 505 to 653.

Last Modified: Nov.25, 2006