The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Cardiovascular disease is a generic term that refers to any illness or disorder that involves the heart and its vessels or the blood vessels of the body. Cardiovascular disease has been accepted as the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics Reports, twenty six percent of deaths in 2006, 631,636 in total, were caused by diseases of the heart (Heron et al. 2009).
One of the most common of all cardiovascular diseases is Ischaemic Heart Disease. This coronary artery disease often leads to Acute Myocardial Infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack. An ischemia occurs when an organ is receiving an insufficient supply of blood, often caused by a clogged artery (De Milto 2006). Atherosclerosis and blood clots in some of the larger coronary arteries are the most common condition to block coronary circulation. Coronary arteries take rise from the root of the aorta and spread out over the epicardium. These arteries branch out into energy hungry cardiac muscle, the myocardium, to supply it with oxygen and nutrients. The blockage of these deep arteries is known as myocardial ischemia. When ischemia to a specific region is severe, injury occurs (American Heart Association 2008). When blockage results in cell death, the condition is called an infarction.
Recommended Citation
Abraham, S. L. (2010). Cardiac Regeneration. The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences, 4(1). Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/sjlcas/vol4/iss1/3
