Introduction

Heart Disease

Did you know that about 805,000 people in the U.S. suffer heart attacks each year? Go to Heart Disease Facts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to learn about heart attacks and heart disease in the U.S.

  • Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S.
  • Every 60 seconds someone dies from a heart disease-related event.
  • Every 34 seconds someone in the U.S. has a heart attack.
  • Since 1984, more women than men have died from heart disease.

What does a diseased heart look like?

Go to PBS NOVA: Troubled Hearts to see real images of diseased hearts, including those with damage after a heart attack.

Are you at risk?

Before getting started on this lesson about heart disease, let's assess your own risk for heart disease. Open the Your Disease Risk assessment page and select "Heart Disease". Then, complete the questions to determine your level of risk.

What will this lesson cover?

In previous lessons, you learned about the structures and functions of the cardiovascular system. In this lesson, we will focus on coronary artery disease (CAD) that can lead to a heart attack, and investigate possible preventative and treatment options.

 

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • Describe the process, risk factors, and prevention of coronary artery disease.
  • Describe the symptoms and process of a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
  • Engage in argument from evidence on a treatment option for coronary artery disease.

Enduring Understandings

  • The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.
  • The heart is the organ that pumps blood through blood vessels.
  • The cardiovascular system transports gases, nutrients, hormones, and wastes throughout the body.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: Anatomy and Physiology standards: 7

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