Vascular System:
The vascular system is the combination of all your arteries and veins. Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart. From the heart, your blood goes to the lungs where it receives oxygen. It then goes back to the heart, which sends this oxygen-rich blood out into the body through arteries. Vascular disease occurs when these blood vessels become smaller and slowdown to stop the normal flow of blood through the body. The skin, muscles or organs are damaged when the body does not get enough oxygen or important nutrients found in the blood.
Risk Factors:
Risk factors are behaviors or physical findings that can put you at greater risk for developing a disease. Risk factors are divided into those that can be controlled and those that are outside of your control. Those risk factors include:
Controllable Risk Factors:
- Cigarette smoking
- Lack of exercise
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obesity
Uncontrollable Factors:
- Gender
- Age
- Family history
Each risk factor alone can pose a threat to your physical health. When these factors are in combination with each other, the chances for developing vascular or heart disease are greatly increased.
Common Vascular Disease:
- Abdominal Aneurysms
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (Atherosclerosis)
- Stroke or Cerebrovascular Occlusive Disease
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Venous Disease
- Lymphedema
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