Coronary Artery Disease And Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system is one of the most important systems in the body and responsible for the delivery of oxygen, nutrients and the removal of wastes from cellular and tissue levels. These products are transported within the blood through an interconnected system of blood vessels throughout the body with the heart being the power and force to pump it to the body. With the interaction of the many body systems, the blood is able to be regulated, oxygen and nutrients are able to get to the tissues and cells, and lastly the waste products are able to be excreted and removed. The vascular endothelium is very important in the functioning of the cardiovascular system because of its vast functionality. When the vascular endothelium is in†¦show more content†¦The left one supplies blood to the left ventricle and atrium and the right supplies blood to the right atrium and ventricle. These vessels supply the heart with the oxygen and nutrients that are required to function and s urvive (Sanders, Lewis, Quick, McKenna, 2007, p. 123-124). In the case of an individual with CAD, the most common cause is atherosclerosis. It is a chronic inflammatory reaction in the artery walls with deposits of fatty proteins/lipids and cholesterol (Drake, Vogl, Mitchell, 2015, p. 27). The inflammatory process is a pathological feature that contributes to the stages of atherosclerosis. It is initiated by attracting white blood cells such as monocytes and T lymphocytes to the injury site. The injury site can be caused by risk factors that can contribute to the disease such as; non-modifiable risk factors that include advanced age, men or women post menopause, family history or modifiable risk factors that include hypertension, smoking, diabetes and insulin resistance, obesity, hyperlipidemia and a sedentary lifestyle (Huether McCance, 2008, p. 622). The monocytes mature in macrophages and Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) begin oxidisation. Once these LDL’s have been oxidi sed they penetrate the damaged endothelial lining and gather between the tunica intima and tunica media (two layers of an artery wall), where the macrophages then engulf the LDL’s forming foam cells that accumulate to form lesions called fatty streaks. With damage to the