INTRODUCTION The UK has one of the highest rates of death from heart disease in the world - one British adult dies from the disease every three minutes - and stroke is the country's third biggest killer, claiming 70,000 lives each year. Heart attacks occur when blood flow is blocked, often by a blood clot, while strokes are caused either by blocked or burst blood vessels in the brain. A range of other conditions, including heart failure, when blood is not pumped properly around the body, and congenital heart defects can also cause long term problems, and even death, for sufferers.
		Left atrium - The blood returns from the lungs to the upper left chamber of the heart where it is again briefly stored until the atrium fills, before flowing on to the left ventricle. Right atrium - “Impure” or “blue” blood returning from the atrium enters the heart here, where it is held until the atrium - or chamber - fills up. Left ventricle - This is the most powerful chamber of the heart. It pumps the newly oxygenated blood to the rest of the body through the aorta, or main artery. Right ventricle - This powerful pump propels blood into the pulmonary artery, the tube which carries blood to the lungs, where carbon dioxide in the blood is removed and oxygen added.

HEART DISEASE The heart pumps blood around the body carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the areas that need it. When this process is interrupted, or does not work properly, serious illness and even death can result. The risk of heart disease is greater for people with poor diet, who smoke and do not exercise, and men are more likely to suffer from it than women. A range of tests and treatments, including drugs, heart bypass surgery and transplants, exist to alleviate symptoms or save the lives of sufferers. CAUSES, TESTS & TREATMENTS RISK FACTORS & PREVENTION DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TREATMENTS - Drugs - Operations - Rehabilitation HEART CONDITIONS HEART ATTACK HEART FAILURE ANGINA HARDENED ARTERIES HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DISTURBED HEART RHYTHM HEART MUSCLE DISEASE HEART VALVE DISEASE CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS STROKE There are two types of stroke - those caused by blood clots in the brain and those that occur when blood vessels burst. In both cases, the brain is starved of oxygen, damaging or killing cells. Sufferers are often left with difficulty talking, walking and performing other basic tasks. The chance of suffering a stroke is cut by eating healthily, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol. People at risk of stroke are often treated with aspirin. After a stroke, various drug treatments are available and rehabilitation is commonly used to improve patients' speech and movement. CAUSES, TESTS & TREATMENTS RISK FACTORS & PREVENTION DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TREATMENTS - Drugs - Operations - Rehabilitation TYPES OF STROKE ISCHAEMIC STROKE HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE