A bit more on Cardiovascular disease & lifestyle

In order to have some understanding of how lifestyle can influence the heart you should consider what the heart does under normal conditions.

Do you think you can give a good description of the heart itself? For instance, the differences between the right & left ventricles & the reasons for these differences. This is all to do with Structure and Function.

Do you think you could describe the cardiac cycle using the words sinoatrial node (SAN), atrioventricular node (AVN), bundle of His and Purkyne fibres? Hint: a wave of electrical activity

Do you know what the sino-atrial node is & the relationship between this natural structure & that of a pacemaker?

Here is a list of sub-topics that you need to read about and search for in books and on the internet:
(i) how an electrocardiogram (ECG) is used to monitor heart function
(ii) the role of valves & the pressure & volume changes occurring in the heart
(iii) the importance & difference between Systolic & Diastolic blood pressure
(iv) What is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) & under what conditions can this serious condition occur?
(v) How can the incidence of DVT be reduced? Find out why support socks & stockings are a sensible method of reducing DVT.
(vi) The normal structure and function of blood vessels - here are some images of normal blood vessels. Can you identify which image shows (a) an artery (b) a vein (c) a capillary? How can you identify one from the other?

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