Summarize the components and functions of the cardiovascular system, and some disease processes and conditions that can predict or cause heart attacks or strokes.​

A. The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels.
1. The heart pumps blood, circulating it through the body.
2. The circulating blood provides organs, tissues, etc. with oxygen and removes waste products.
3. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart.
B. Atherosclerosis involves plaques forming inside the arteries, narrowing them.
1. Narrowed arteries restrict blood supply, hence oxygen, to the heart muscle (myocardium).
2. Restricted blood to the heart muscle can cause angina pectoris.
a. Angina symptoms include chest pain and breathing difficulty.
3. Atherosclerosis leads to coronary artery disease.
4. Blocked coronary arteries can lead to a myocardial infarction, i.e. a heart attack.
C. Arteriosclerosis involves hardening of the arteries, i.e. a loss of elasticity.
D. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis often occur together.
1. Either or both condition can lead to arterial blockages, i.e. coronary heart disease, and cause heart attacks.
E. Obstructed arteries can also cause strokes.
1. Blocking blood flow to the brain deprives the brain of oxygen, causing tissue death.
2. In addition to atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, a stroke can be caused by:
a. an embolism (e.g. an air bubble, a blood clot, an infection, etc.)
b. an aneurysm: a weakened arterial wall can balloon out; if it ruptures, it can cause hemorrhagic stroke or death.
F. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis not only cause heart attacks and strokes by restricting blood flow to the heart and brain; by narrowing and stiffening the arteries, they also raise the blood pressure.
Hypertension, i.e. high blood pressure, also leads to CVD, heart attacks, and strokes.