Diseases, or disorders, of the Circulatory System include any injury that damages: the blood vessels, or the blood, or the heart. If an injury takes place then it will affect the whole system and you might even die. The most important circulatory diseases are atherosclerosis, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. .
Hypertension is when the blood pressure is elevated and develops when the blood vessels get smaller. This causes the heart to pump and work harder than normal to push the blood through the small, narrow blood vessels. Hypertension is untreatable and might cause the heart to become larger and thicken the heart muscle. Throughout time the heart will need more oxygen to function, which can be a problem. This could lead to brain stroke, or heart failure. In some cases to treat this, you would need to eat healthy and maintain good shape.
Arteriosclerosis is when the walls of the arteries lose their elasticity and become thicker. The heart must pump blood harder than usual to deliver blood. When this becomes servior the heart cannot supply the right amount of blood to all parts of the body. The cause of arteriosclerosis is not known, but we do know smoking, obesity, and heredity contributes to this disease. .
Atherosclerosis is the decrease of blood flow through the arteries. It is caused by greasy deposits, called plaque that forms on the insides of arteries. It temporary stops some of the blood flow there. Plaque deposits are from high cholesterol in the blood. Blood flow is even reduced more by the formation of blood clots. All of this reduction in blood flow may cause damage to organs. When brain arteries become blocked and the brain cannot function, a stroke is formed. When a coronary artery becomes blocked, and heart muscle is destroyed a heart attack has occurred. Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis.
When you smoke, and have high blood pressure, it will contribute to these disorders.
