Certificate of Achievement
has completed the following course:
Heart Health: A Beginner's Guide to Cardiovascular Disease
This course explored how the heart works, the causes of heart disease and how you can try to keep your heart healthy.
4 weeks, 3 hours per week
Dr Natasha Barrett
University of Reading
Transcript
Learning outcomes
- Describe the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, including the circulatory system and heart
- Describe the basis of several cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and heart failure
- Evaluate the various risk factors that can contribute towards increasing a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease
- Discuss some of the lifestyle choices that we can make to try and reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease
- Apply theoretical knowledge and investigate a topic through practical activities
- Investigate and process data
- Investigate a topic and evaluate the reliability of your sources
Syllabus
Week 1:
- Introduction to the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, consisting of the circulatory system and the heart as a pump
- The circulatory system – including the different blood vessels, the blood cells and plasma
- The structure of the heart – including its four chambers, the major blood vessels that enter and exit the heart, the smaller blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with vital blood and oxygen and the heart valves that regulate the flow of blood through the heart
- The cardiac cycle and how this relates to an ECG (electro cardiogram) Investigation of the structure of the heart through a hands-on practical activity
Week 2:
- Introduction to the process of atherosclerosis
- What is angina?
- Introduction to haemostasis and thrombosis
- What is a heart attack?
- What is a stroke?
- Investigation of the effects of thrombosis through a hands-on practical activity
Week 3:
- What is heart failure?
- What is hypertension?
- What is valvular disease?
- What are arrhythmias?
- Investigation of the effects of heart failure through a hands-on practical activity
Week 4:
- Non-modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease including age, gender and genetics
- Modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease including smoking, stress, cholesterol, obesity, diet, and physical activity
- Lifestyle choices that can be made to try and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Calculating the risk of cardiovascular disease with the QRisk Cardiovascular * Disease Risk Calculator
- Investigation of one’s own life style choices
Issued on 5th October 2020
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This certificate represents proof of learning. It is not a formal qualification, degree, or part of a degree.