Diseases of the circulatory system

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Because of its vastness and critical nature, it is one of the systems of the body most prone to disease.

One of the most common diseases of the circulatory system is arteriosclerosis, in which the fatty deposits in the arteries causes the walls to stiffen and thicken the walls. For example, 2.6 million people in the United Kingdom suffer from narrowing of the heart arteries. According to the Mayo Clinic, the causes are a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other material in the artery walls. This can restrict blood flow or in severe cases stop it all together, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

Stroke involves blockage of the blood vessels to the brain and is another major condition of the circulatory system, according to Mitchell Weinberg of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "Risk factors include smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol," he noted.

Another circulatory disease, hypertension — commonly called high blood pressure — causes the heart to work harder and can lead to such complications as a heart attack, a stroke, or kidney failure, the NLM noted. Around 75 million American adults, or one in every three adults, have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An aortic aneurysm occurs when the aorta is damaged and starts to bulge or eventually tear, which can cause severe internal bleeding. This weakness can be present at birth or the result of atherosclerosis, obesity, high blood pressure or a combination of these conditions, according to Weinberg.

Peripheral arterial disease (also known as PAD) typically involves areas of narrowing or blockage within an artery, according to Jay Radhakrishnan, an interventional radiologist in Houston, Texas. In addition, chronic venous insufficiency (also known as CVI) involves areas reflux (or backward flow) within the superficial veins of the lower extremities.

PAD is diagnosed with noninvasive testing including ultrasound, CT scan and/or MRI. Ultrasound is the least expensive of these methods, but also gives the least amount of detail, as CT and MRI show a much higher degree of anatomic detail when identifying areas of narrowing/blockage within an artery. CVI is diagnosed with ultrasound as the venous reflux can be measured accurately by ultrasound, which ultimately guides treatment.

Additional videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgd03h3te8 (very detailed video for self-studying)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=960_mAShiXQ (detailed, operating theater)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQne1SILsVk main arteries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CfTAmgRRO4 structure of the heart

 

 

Unit 8

Respiratory System

T opic Respiratory System

Grammar Modal Verbs    Revision Passive Voice, Simple Tense

Vocabulary Respiratory System, Noun suffix – th, Prefix sub - Revision Noun suffixes – um, -us, Adjective suffix – al, Adverb suffix - ly

Reading ‘Respiratory System’, ‘The Respiratory System through the Ages’

Listening ‘Lungs: Definition, Location and Structure’ (video)

Speaking Pair work (Structure of Lungs), Group Work (Functions of Respiratory System), Summary

 

 

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