Understand cardiovascular disease and learn how to keep your heart healthy

Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day, pumping blood around your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients, while taking away waste products. When your heart is unhealthy, it can’t perform this vital task so effectively.

This course will improve your knowledge of how the heart works, the causes of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and heart failure and what you can do to avoid them.

You’ll cover both theory and practical aspects of heart health, learning from lab demonstrations and practical activities so you better understand your own heart.

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What topics will you cover?

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

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

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

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at anyone with an interest in how the heart works and the diseases that commonly affect it. It will help if you have a basic understanding of human biology, but we’ll explain things in a way that will be easy for those who are unfamiliar with the subject. If you get stuck, you can always ask questions in the comments and other learners may be able to help you.

Healthcare practitioners may also enjoy this as a gentle refresher or resource to share with patients.

Who will you learn with?

Natasha Barrett

I am a lecturer in cardiovascular biology and haematology at the University of Reading and the lead educator for Heart Health: A Beginner’s Guide to Cardiovascular Disease.

Who developed the course?

University of Reading

The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.

Learning on FutureLearn

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Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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