CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN SCOTLAND
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WITHIN THE UK, CAUSING THE DEATH OF APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR IN SCOTLAND. PHARMACIST GARETH MCCABE LOOKS INTO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP. By Gareth McCabe
Treating and preventing cardiovascular disease is a clinical priority in Scotland. Death rates from cardiovascular disease have been decreasing year on year since the 1970s, however, within Western Europe, the UK has the highest incidence, and within the UK, it is even higher in Scotland.¹
WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE? Cardiovascular disease is a general
38 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST
• Peripheral arterial disease and, • Aortic disease
The main cause of death each year is with coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD occurs when the fl ow of oxygen rich blood to the heart muscle is fully restricted (blocked) or partially restricted (reduced). This naturally increases the strain on the heart muscle and can lead to:
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction (MI)) caused by a sudden block in the blood supply,
• Angina - chest pain caused by restricted blood fl ow
term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. This is usually associated with atherosclerosis (build- up of fatty deposits in arteries) and an increased risk of thrombosis (blood clots).
There are different types of cardiovascular disease, mainly²:
• Coronary heart disease;
• Strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs);
A heart attack may also be divided into two types, either a STEMI or NSTEMI. STEMI is ST elevated myocardial infarction, which is a total blockage of the blood fl ow to the heart muscle and is the most serious type of heart attack. It causes extensive damage to a large area of the heart.
NSTEMI is non ST elevated myocardial infarction and occurs when there is only a partial disruption to the
blood fl ow to the heart muscle. It is therefore less serious than a STEMI as it results in damage to a smaller area of the heart but is still regarded as a serious medical emergency.
Scotland has a high prevalence of the risk factors associated with heart disease. These risk factors include smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity.³ It is estimated that around fi fteen per cent of adults are diagnosed with any cardiovascular disease (approximately nine per cent of men and six per cent of women) according to the Scottish Health Survey 2015.4
Diagnosis is often sudden: chest pain, an emergency call, an ambulance journey to hospital and a diagnosis of heart attack. Many healthcare professionals are involved in this pathway of care and, once diagnosed with a heart attack, there follows a life-long journey fi lled with many challenges of tests, medication, treatment, rehabilitation and personal adjustment to this life-changing event.¹
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