Atherosclerosis and Its Sequelae 2024

AtheroInsights - Team 1

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_01_image.JPGWe created a website that hosts essential information about atherosclerosis. We
chose atherosclerosis as our topic because it is a common disease that people are
likely familiar with; however, they may need help understanding how it occurs, its risk factors, or other diseases that may result from atherosclerosis. We chose a website since the format is familiar to most people and easy to navigate, allowing us to organize our content. Further, we included a “Learning Tools” tab, which provides a reproducible set of steps to follow that allows students to create a cue card deck on Anki for further study.

Understanding the basics of cardiovascular disease is extremely important since it is a burdensome disease in Canada and worldwide. It is the leading cause of death worldwide, and making education accessible is crucial for preventing this harmful disease. Atherosclerosis is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects large and medium-sized arteries–the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. It occurs when fat and connective tissue deposit in the lumen of an artery. Like a gunked-up pipe, these deposits, also known as atheromas or plaques, restrict blood flow and act as a site for further buildup, progressing the disease. Since arteries are found all over the body, atherosclerosis can harm various tissues and organs and is often the cause of heart attacks. Understanding the pathogenesis and risk factors is essential in a healthy lifestyle and educating peers and family members on the causes and complications of atherosclerosis. Through comprehensive educational tools like AtheroInsights, we hope students can be better educated to tackle this increasingly burdensome disease both in Canada and around the globe.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Pathogenesis, Risk Factors, Manifestations, Myocardial Infarctions, Generative AI

The Silent Killer: Atherosclerosis - Team 7

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_7_image.jpgThe topic of our PULSE assignment is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease resulting in arteries narrowing due to plaque buildup. The plaque is typically composed of cholesterol, fat, and other substances. The narrowing restricts blood flow and delivery of oxygen to other vital organs and tissues in the body. High blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle are all risk factors for atherosclerosis. Furthermore, atherosclerosis is the major underlying cause of many cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks. Symptoms such as chest pain radiating towards the jaw or left arm, heartburn, and nausea are indicative of a heart attack. Typically, an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) test can be used to measure the heart's electrical activity to detect potential atherosclerotic damage. Treatment options include thrombolytic therapy, which are drugs that can dissolve blood clots, and angioplasty, a procedure to widen arteries. In severe cases, surgery is required to create new routes to go around blocked blood flow.

We chose this topic due to its widespread prevalence and profound impact on the population. As a primary risk factor for heart attacks, understanding this condition is crucial. We chose to create an Infographic to display this information in a visually appealing manner that is easy to understand and accessible to a broad audience. Through our Infographic we aim to highlight key insights about the risk factors, pathogenesis, and potential complications of atherosclerosis, as well as some prevention strategies to lead a healthy life.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, Ischemia, Plaque, Myocardial Infarction, Angioplasty

The Silent Threat: Understanding Atherosclerosis - Team 20

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_20_image.jpgOur assignment highlights some of what we considered the key points in the topic of atherosclerosis. We focused on providing the learner with a summary of the pathogenesis, disease prevalence, risk factors, and available treatments. We chose to use an infographic to format and present our information. We believe that this format makes the content more digestible and potentially more fun to follow along with.

Atherosclerosis is the thickening or hardening of the arteries. These arteries transport valuable nutrients in blood to various parts of the body. Plaques build up on these arteries that are composed of cholesterol, fatty substances, calcium, and fibrin. The thickening of the arteries and presence of plaques results in reduced blood, oxygen, and nutrient transport. This can have detrimental consequences resulting in heart attacks and strokes.

Atherosclerosis is a slow progressive disease that not only affects the older population but may also affect children. Type I diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking are all major risk factors of the disease.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Fatty plaques, Hypertension

Traversing the Gates of the Heart: An Introduction to Heart Valve Diseases - Team 23

Media Type: Learning Module

Summary

team_23_image.jpgIn the human heart, valves help to control the flow of blood through the heart as it beats. When these valves are damaged or are not working properly, they lead to heart valve diseases. These diseases impact the health of a person’s heart by changing its structure and how it functions. This causes symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue and can eventually lead to heart failure. Heart valve diseases are common throughout the world, and the number of people living with these diseases grows as the average global age rises. There are no known cures for heart valve diseases, but surgery can repair or replace the damaged heart valve(s) to improve patients’ condition.

This project is an interactive learning module on heart valve disease, which aims to give background information on their causes, development, and treatment. Learners can click on icons to reveal facts and on buttons to listen to how the heart sounds when heart valves are damaged, and learn from animations inside the module. They can also apply their knowledge on case studies that discuss some of the most common heart valve diseases. Each case study was created with the help of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program, and was edited for clarity and accuracy by students. Most pages have audio narrations to aid those who need it.

The module was created to add to the discussion of cardiovascular diseases in the course Pathology 3500. Diseases that start in the heart affect many people worldwide, and this project aims to bring awareness to that. The digital module format was the best choice to tackle the topic of heart valve diseases. It gave a sandbox to create a simple yet detailed overview of the topic that balanced text, images, sounds, and animations to suit different learning styles.

Keywords: Valvular Heart Disease, Stenosis, Regurgitation, Atresia, Murmur, Echocardiograph

The Silent Threat: Hypertension - Team 37

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_37_image.jpgOur PULSE team assignment used an infographic to discuss the topic of hypertension.

Hypertension is a prevalent medical condition where the force of blood against the walls of arteries is consistently too high. It's a significant health concern worldwide, often referred to as a "silent killer" because it can lead to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure if left untreated. Despite its prevalence and potential severity, many people may not fully understand hypertension and its implications.

We've chosen this topic because we believe it's essential for everyone to understand the basics of blood pressure and how it can affect overall health. By raising awareness and understanding, we hope to educate individuals to take proactive steps in managing their blood pressure and reducing their risk of associated complications.

To make the information easily understood,we utilized a format that includes straightforward explanations, relatable examples, and practical tips for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. We aim to reveal the problems of hypertension, common misconceptions, and highlight the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring and lifestyle modifications such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management.

Keywords: Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Primary Hypertension, Secondary Hypertension