1.4: Reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease
The risk of CVD can be reduced in a range of different ways including:
- Stopping smoking
- Maintaining resting blood pressure below 140/85mmHg
- Maintaining low blood cholesterol level
- Maintaining a normal BMI/low waist-to-hip ratio
- Taking regular physical exercise
- Moderate or no use of alcohol
After stopping smoking the risk of developing CVD is almost halved after only one
year
Controlling blood pressure:
If a person is diagnosed with high blood pressure changes in diet/lifestyle are
advised as well as medicines
ACE inhibitors
i) Effective antihypertensive drugs which reduce the synthesis of angiotensin II
ii) Angiotensin II causes the vasoconstriction of blood vessels to help control blood
pressure
iii) The ACE inhibiters therefore reduce high blood pressure caused by the
vasoconstriction
iv) Side effects include: dry cough; dizziness due to rapid lowering of pressure;
abnormal heart rhythms and reduction in kidney function
v) For those with kidney disease they can help reduce the risk of kidney failure
Calcium channel blockers:
i) Antihypertensive drugs that block the calcium channels in the muscle cells in the
linings of the arteries
ii) For a muscle to contract, calcium must pass through these channels into the
muscle cells
iii) Failure of calcium entering the cells prevents contraction of the muscle the
blood vessels don’t constrict lowering blood pressure
iv) Side effects include: headache; dizziness; swollen ankles; abnormal heart
rhythms; flushing red in the face; constipation
v) They are not prescribed to those who’ve had a heart attack as sometime they can
make symptoms worse
Diuretics
i) Increase the volume of urine produced by the kidneys therefore rids the body of
excess fluids and salt leads to a decrease in blood plasma volume and cardiac
outputlowers blood pressure
ii) Side effects include: dizziness; nausea; muscle cramps
iii) Should decrease salt intake as it counteracts the diuretic effect
Reducing blood cholesterol levels:
Some people need to reduce blood cholesterol- to do this advised to have a low-fat
diet
Cholesterol-lowering drugs
i) The most commonly prescribed drug is statins
The risk of CVD can be reduced in a range of different ways including:
- Stopping smoking
- Maintaining resting blood pressure below 140/85mmHg
- Maintaining low blood cholesterol level
- Maintaining a normal BMI/low waist-to-hip ratio
- Taking regular physical exercise
- Moderate or no use of alcohol
After stopping smoking the risk of developing CVD is almost halved after only one
year
Controlling blood pressure:
If a person is diagnosed with high blood pressure changes in diet/lifestyle are
advised as well as medicines
ACE inhibitors
i) Effective antihypertensive drugs which reduce the synthesis of angiotensin II
ii) Angiotensin II causes the vasoconstriction of blood vessels to help control blood
pressure
iii) The ACE inhibiters therefore reduce high blood pressure caused by the
vasoconstriction
iv) Side effects include: dry cough; dizziness due to rapid lowering of pressure;
abnormal heart rhythms and reduction in kidney function
v) For those with kidney disease they can help reduce the risk of kidney failure
Calcium channel blockers:
i) Antihypertensive drugs that block the calcium channels in the muscle cells in the
linings of the arteries
ii) For a muscle to contract, calcium must pass through these channels into the
muscle cells
iii) Failure of calcium entering the cells prevents contraction of the muscle the
blood vessels don’t constrict lowering blood pressure
iv) Side effects include: headache; dizziness; swollen ankles; abnormal heart
rhythms; flushing red in the face; constipation
v) They are not prescribed to those who’ve had a heart attack as sometime they can
make symptoms worse
Diuretics
i) Increase the volume of urine produced by the kidneys therefore rids the body of
excess fluids and salt leads to a decrease in blood plasma volume and cardiac
outputlowers blood pressure
ii) Side effects include: dizziness; nausea; muscle cramps
iii) Should decrease salt intake as it counteracts the diuretic effect
Reducing blood cholesterol levels:
Some people need to reduce blood cholesterol- to do this advised to have a low-fat
diet
Cholesterol-lowering drugs
i) The most commonly prescribed drug is statins
