What Are Common Circulatory and Cardiovascular Disorders?

The circulatory system is an extremely important aspect of the human body. Without it, humans would not be able to transport blood containing oxygen and nutrients throughout the body to tissues that require them. When something goes wrong within the system, the results can cause severe problems. Cardiovascular disorders are the number one cause of death for people in the United States. It is currently estimated that likely 20 percent of people have some sort of high blood pressure or form of hypertension.

Hypertension is a very serious issue that is seen in a large number of people. There are two major contributing factors to a person having hypertension. The first reason that a person may suffer from the problem is due to genetics. If a person's parents had similar problems, the genes that they pass on likely contain similar problems. Another factor contributing to hypertension is a person's general lifestyle. If a person constantly eats unhealthy food and does not get a proper amount of exercise, then the risk that a person can develop hypertension increases. What actually is occurring is that plaque builds up in the arteries, which affects the flow of blood out of the heart. Not only does blood have a hard time passing through the arteries, but clots can actually develop. If a clot breaks off and travels to the brain it can cause a stroke.

Another serious cardiovascular problem is heart attacks. A heart attack is caused by a part of the muscle in the heart dying because it does not receive enough oxygen. This occurs when the coronary artery suffers from some sort of blockage. If caught early enough, there are two procedures that can be done to help prevent an attack. A coronary bypass is when a blood vessel located some somewhere else in the body is surgically removed and put in the heart so that blood can flow freely around the blockage. An angioplasty is another option that a person may turn to. In this procedure, a balloon is inserted into the blocker artery and is inflated. Hopefully, this will break the block and return the flow of blood.

Source:

Benitz, Bill. Lecture: Human Biology. November 9, 2009