Vascular disease
Vascular disease | |
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Veins and arteries
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Classification and external resources | |
Specialty | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 446: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
ICD-10 | G45-G46, I60-I95 |
ICD-9-CM | 325, 430-459 |
Patient UK | Vascular disease |
MeSH | D014652 |
Vascular disease is a class of diseases of the blood vessels – the arteries and veins of the circulatory system of the body. It is a subgroup of cardiovascular disease. Disorders in this vast network of blood vessels, can cause a range of health problems which can be severe or prove fatal.[1]
Contents
Associated medical conditions
Types
There are several types of vascular disease, (which is a subgroup of cardiovascular disease) among them are:[2]
- Peripheral artery disease – happens when atheromatous plaques build up in the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs, plaque causes the arteries to narrow or become blocked.[3]
- Renal artery stenosis - is the narrowing of renal arteries that carry blood to the kidneys from the aorta.[4]
- Buerger's disease – is due to small blood vessels that inflame and swell, vessels then narrow or are blocked by blood clots.[5]
- Raynaud's disease – a rare disorder of constriction of the peripheral blood vessels, in the fingers and toes when the person is cold.[6]
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation – a widespread activation of clotting in the smaller blood vessels.[7]
- Cerebrovascular disease–a group of vascular diseases that affect brain function.
Mechanism
Vascular disease is a pathological state of large and medium muscular arteries and is triggered by endothelial cell dysfunction.[8] Because of factors like pathogens, oxidized LDL particles and other inflammatory stimuli endothelial cells become active.[9] The process causes thickening of the vessel wall, forming a plaque that consists of proliferating smooth muscle cells, macrophages and lymphocytes.[10][11] The plaque results in a restricted blood flow which will decrease the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach certain organs,[12] the plaque might rupture causing the formation of clots.
Diagnosis
It can be difficult to make a Vascular disease diagnosis since there are a variety of symptoms that a person can have, also family history and a physical examination are important. The physical exam may be different depending on the type of vascular disease. In the case of a peripheral vascular disease the physical exam consists in checking the blood flow in the legs.[13][14]
Treatment
Treatment varies with the type of vascular disease; in the case of renal artery disease, information from a meta-analysis indicated that balloon angioplasty results in improvement of diastolic blood pressure and a reduction in antihypertensive drug requirements.[15] In the case of peripheral artery disease, preventing complications is important; without treatment, sores or gangrene (tissue death) may occur. Among the treatments are:[16]
- Quitting smoking
- Lowering cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower blood glucose
- Physical activity
References
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Further reading
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