GCSE Biology revision

Coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease (cardiovascular disease)

Animal tissues, organs and organ systems

AQA 4.1.1.1

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AQA student objectives

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Identify and describe What is Cardiovascular Disease?, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Stents: Holding Arteries Open in the context of coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease (cardiovascular disease).

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Explain the relationships between What is Cardiovascular Disease?, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Stents: Holding Arteries Open and how they contribute to coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease (cardiovascular disease).

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Apply and analyse knowledge of What is Cardiovascular Disease?, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Stents: Holding Arteries Open to interpret unfamiliar information about coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease (cardiovascular disease).

Revision summary

Key knowledge

Read on screen, then print for Cornell-style active revision.

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, heart attacks, faulty heart valves, and heart failure.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle, become narrowed due to a buildup of fatty material.
The narrowing of the artery lumen reduces blood flow, meaning less oxygen reaches the heart muscle, which can strain the heart and potentially trigger a heart attack.

2. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)AQA

Notes

Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle, become narrowed due to a buildup of fatty material.
The narrowing of the artery lumen reduces blood flow, meaning less oxygen reaches the heart muscle, which can strain the heart and potentially trigger a heart attack.

Stents: Holding Arteries Open

A stent is an expandable tube inserted into a narrowed artery to hold it open and restore normal blood flow.
The benefits of stents include relatively quick surgery and long-lasting effectiveness, but the procedure carries risks such as infection, heart attack during surgery, and thrombosis (blood clot near the stent).

3. Stents: Holding Arteries OpenAQA

Notes

A stent is an expandable tube inserted into a narrowed artery to hold it open and restore normal blood flow.
The benefits of stents include relatively quick surgery and long-lasting effectiveness, but the procedure carries risks such as infection, heart attack during surgery, and thrombosis (blood clot near the stent).

Statins: Balancing Cholesterol

Statins are medications that reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol in the bloodstream.
LDL cholesterol contributes to the formation of fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, whilst HDL cholesterol helps remove these deposits.
Statins lower the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks, but must be taken regularly and can cause side effects such as headaches and kidney failure.

4. Statins: Balancing CholesterolAQA

Notes

Statins are medications that reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol in the bloodstream.
LDL cholesterol contributes to the formation of fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, whilst HDL cholesterol helps remove these deposits.
Statins lower the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks, but must be taken regularly and can cause side effects such as headaches and kidney failure.

Faulty Heart Valves

Heart valves ensure blood flows in one direction only, but they can become damaged due to ageing, heart attacks, or infections.
A faulty valve may become stiff and fail to open fully, restricting blood flow, or may fail to close properly, allowing blood to leak backwards.
Faulty valves can be replaced with biological valves (from humans, pigs, or cows) or mechanical (man-made) valves, both of which require surgery and carry an ongoing risk of blood clots.

5. Faulty Heart ValvesAQA

Notes

Heart valves ensure blood flows in one direction only, but they can become damaged due to ageing, heart attacks, or infections.
A faulty valve may become stiff and fail to open fully, restricting blood flow, or may fail to close properly, allowing blood to leak backwards.
Faulty valves can be replaced with biological valves (from humans, pigs, or cows) or mechanical (man-made) valves, both of which require surgery and carry an ongoing risk of blood clots.

Heart Failure & Transplants

Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood around the body effectively, and the only definitive treatment is a heart transplant.
Donor hearts must come from another human, as animal hearts cannot be used, meaning patients may face a long wait for a suitable donor.
Even after a successful transplant, the recipient's immune system may recognise the donor heart as foreign and attempt to destroy it (rejection).

6. Heart Failure & TransplantsAQA

Notes

Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood around the body effectively, and the only definitive treatment is a heart transplant.
Donor hearts must come from another human, as animal hearts cannot be used, meaning patients may face a long wait for a suitable donor.
Even after a successful transplant, the recipient's immune system may recognise the donor heart as foreign and attempt to destroy it (rejection).

Artificial Hearts

Artificial hearts are man-made devices used as a temporary measure to keep a patient alive whilst awaiting a suitable biological donor heart.
Because artificial hearts are made from metals and plastics rather than living tissue, the immune system does not recognise them as foreign and does not attempt to reject them.
A key limitation of artificial hearts is that they are not as effective as biological hearts, making them unsuitable as a permanent solution.

7. Artificial HeartsAQA

Notes

Artificial hearts are man-made devices used as a temporary measure to keep a patient alive whilst awaiting a suitable biological donor heart.
Because artificial hearts are made from metals and plastics rather than living tissue, the immune system does not recognise them as foreign and does not attempt to reject them.
A key limitation of artificial hearts is that they are not as effective as biological hearts, making them unsuitable as a permanent solution.

Heart and Lung Transplants

In some cases, both the heart and lungs are diseased, requiring a combined heart and lung transplant.
Finding a donor with both a compatible heart and lungs is extremely difficult, and the surgery involved is highly complex.

Comparing Treatments: Key Trade-offs

Stents and valve replacements offer structural, long-term solutions but involve surgical risks including infection, thrombosis, and immune rejection.
Statins are a non-surgical option that reduce CVD risk over time but require long-term use and can cause side effects.
Artificial hearts avoid immune rejection but are only a temporary fix, highlighting the ongoing challenge of finding suitable biological donors.

9. Comparing Treatments: Key Trade-offsAQA

Notes

Stents and valve replacements offer structural, long-term solutions but involve surgical risks including infection, thrombosis, and immune rejection.
Statins are a non-surgical option that reduce CVD risk over time but require long-term use and can cause side effects.
Artificial hearts avoid immune rejection but are only a temporary fix, highlighting the ongoing challenge of finding suitable biological donors.