In the following, “circulatory system” describes diseases that are assigned to this category according to ICD-10 (I00-I99). The ICD-10 is used for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and is recognized worldwide.
The circulatory system
Through the cardiovascular system, all organs and tissues or, in other words, all cells of the human body are supplied with oxygen (O2), vital nutrients and vital substances (macronutrients and micronutrients), and messenger substances, and metabolic end products such as carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by respiration are removed.
Anatomy
The heart is a hollow muscle and is divided by the septum (heart septum) into right and left halves. Each half of the heart consists of an atrium (ventricle) and a ventricle (atrium), which in turn are separated by heart valves. Right half of the heart
- The superior and inferior vena cava (vena cava superior and vena cava inferior) flow into the right atrium → oxygen-poor and carbon dioxide-rich blood.
- The right atrium is separated from the right ventricle by the tricuspid valve.
- Blood leaves the right ventricle through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery.
Left side of the heart
- The pulmonary veins flow into the left atrium → oxygenated and carbon dioxide-depleted blood.
- The left atrium is separated from the left ventricle by the mitral valve.
- From the left ventricle, blood leaves the heart through the aortic valve and flows into the aorta (main artery).
The circulatory system is divided into pulmonary circulation (“small circulation”) and systemic circulation (“large circulation”):
Pulmonary circulation
- The right side of the heart pumps the oxygen-poor, carbon dioxide-rich blood from the systemic circulation via the veins and venules (smallest branches of the veins) back to the heart.
- The blood first collects in the right atrium and then flows through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.
- From there, it enters the pulmonary artery through the pulmonary valve and is ejected into the right and left lungs, where it is oxygenated and carbon dioxide is released.
Body circulation
- The left atrium collects oxygen-rich blood from the lungs.
- Blood enters the left ventricle through the mitral valve, which pumps it into the aorta (main artery) through the aortic valve.
- Arteries and arterioles (thinnest arteries) distribute blood throughout the body.
Physiology
The heart beats between 60 and 80 times a minute (= heart rate) in a healthy person at rest, pumping 4-7 liters of blood through the blood vessels. It acts as a suction and pressure pump and is the central organ of the circulatory system. In order to maintain the cardiovascular system, a certain pressure, the blood pressure, must be present. It is divided into diastolic and systolic pressure. When the heart muscle relaxes, the heart chambers fill with blood (diastole = relaxation or slackening phase). The heart muscle then contracts, forcing blood out of the heart and into the bloodstream (systole = contraction phase). As this happens, the pressure in the arteries and veins increases. This explains why the systolic value in a blood pressure measurement is a higher value.
Common diseases of the cardiovascular system
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Germany. Elderly people are particularly affected. The most common cardiovascular diseases include:
- Apoplexy (stroke)
- Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis; hardening of the arteries)
- Circulatory disorders
- Heart failure (cardiac insufficiency)
- Herzvitien (heart valve diseases)
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)
- Coronary artery disease (CAD; coronary artery disease).
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
- Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAVK)
The main risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Behavioral causes
- Diet
- High in fat, high in carbohydrates (mono- and disaccharides/simple and double sugars), high consumption of red meat, low intake of fiber.
- Stimulant consumption
- Alcohol consumption
- Tobacco consumption
- Physical inactivity
- Psycho-social situation
- Stress
- Overweight
- Increased waist circumference (abdominal girth; apple type).
Causes due to disease
- Diabetes mellitus – diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2
- Hyperlipidemias (lipid metabolism disorders).
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Please note that the enumeration is only an extract of the possible risk factors. Other causes can be found under the respective disease.
The main diagnostic measures for cardiovascular disease
- Blood pressure measurement or 24-hour blood pressure measurement.
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Ergometer test
- Echocardiography (heart ultrasound)
- Intima-media thickness measurement (IMD)
- Computed tomography (CT) of the heart (cardio-CT).
- Cardio-magnetic resonance imaging (cardio-MRI).
- Cardiac catheterization (HKU)
Which doctor will help you?
The suspicion of a disease of the cardiovascular system is expressed or confirmed by the family doctor, who is usually a general practitioner or internist. Depending on the disease, further diagnostic tests or check-ups by a specialist, in this case the cardiologist, may be required.
