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What is Cardiovascular Disease?[1]

心血管疾病是什麼？

Cardiovascular disease can refer to a number of conditions:

心血管疾病可指多種疾病：

Heart disease

心臟病

Heart and blood vessel disease (also called heart disease) includes numerous problems, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis.

心臟血管疾病（也稱為心臟病）涉及許多問題，這些問題多與一個被稱為「動脈粥樣硬化」的過程有關。

Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can block the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke.

動脈粥樣硬化是一種斑塊積聚在動脈壁上的疾病。這種斑塊積聚會使動脈變窄，造成血液難以流過血管。若形成血凝塊，更會阻止血液流過，堵塞血管，導致心臟病發作或中風。

Heart attack

心臟病發作

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked by a blood clot. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely, the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die.

當流向心臟某部分的血液被血凝塊阻塞時，會造成心臟病發作。如果血凝塊完全阻斷血液流過動脈，那麼，該部分由動脈供給血液的心肌將會死亡。

Most people survive their first heart attack and return to their normal lives, enjoying many more years of productive activity. But experiencing a heart attack does mean that you need to make some changes.

第一次心臟病發作時，大多數的人都能倖存下來，恢復正常生活，再保有幾年的生產力。但是有過心臟病發作卻也表示是時候做些改變了。

The medications and lifestyle changes that your doctor recommends may vary according to how badly your heart was damaged, and to what degree of heart disease caused the heart attack.

醫生建議使用的藥物和應改變的生活方式可能會因患者心臟受損的嚴重程度以及引起心臟病發作的心臟病程度而有所不同。

Stroke

中風

An ischemic stroke (the most common type of stroke) occurs when a blood vessel that feeds the brain gets blocked, usually from a blood clot.

當輸送血液到大腦的血管被堵塞時(通常是血凝塊)，會發生缺血性中風(最常見的中風類型)。

When the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, some brain cells will begin to die. This can result in the loss of functions controlled by that part of the brain, such as walking or talking.

當流向大腦某部分的血液供給被切斷時，腦細胞就會開始死亡，造成該部分大腦所控制的功能喪失，例如走路或說話。

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel within the brain bursts. This is most often caused by uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).

當大腦內的血管破裂時就會造成出血性中風，而這通常是因未控制的高血壓所引起。

Some effects of stroke are permanent if too many brain cells die after being starved of oxygen. These cells are never replaced.

若有過多的腦細胞在缺氧後死亡，某些由中風所造成的影響就會變成永久性的影響，而且這些腦細胞永遠無法被替換掉。

The good news is that sometimes brain cells don’t die during stroke — instead, the damage is temporary. Over time, as injured cells repair themselves, previously impaired function improves. (In other cases, undamaged brain cells nearby may take over for the areas of the brain that were injured.)

好在，並非所有的中風都會造成腦細胞的死亡，這種情形所造成的損傷只是暫時性的。隨著時間的過去，通過受損細胞的自我修復，能使先前受損的功能得到改善。（有些時候可能是由附近未受損的腦細胞接管受傷的大腦區域。）

Either way, strength may return, speech may get better and memory may improve. This recovery process is what stroke rehabilitation is all about.

無論是哪種情形，力量可能會恢復、言語可能會好轉，而記憶力也可能會改善。這個恢復的過程就是中風康復的過程。

Heart failure

心衰竭

Heart failure, sometimes called congestive heart failure, means the heart isn’t pumping blood as well as it should. Heart failure does not mean that the heart stops beating — that’s a common misperception. Instead, the heart keeps working, but the body’s need for blood and oxygen isn’t being met.

心衰竭，有時又被稱為鬱血性心衰竭，是指心臟幫浦血液的程度達不到應有的力度。心衰竭並不代表心臟停止跳動，這是一個常見的誤解。心臟還是繼續工作著，只是身體對血液和氧氣的需求沒有得到滿足。

Heart failure can get worse if left untreated. If your loved one has heart failure, it’s very important to follow the doctor’s orders.

若放著不治療，會使心衰竭更加嚴重。所以，如果你的親人患有心衰竭，遵循醫囑是非常重要的一件事。

Arrhythmia

心律不整

Arrhythmia refers to an abnormal heart rhythm. There are various types of arrhythmias. The heart can beat too slow, too fast or irregularly.

心律不整就是異常的心律，有許多種類型，心臟可以跳得太慢、太快或不規律。

Bradycardia, or a heart rate that’s too slow, is when the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Tachycardia, or a heart rate that’s too fast, refers to a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute.

心搏過緩或心率過慢是指心跳每分鐘低於60次。心搏過速或心率過快則是指心跳每分鐘超過100次。

An arrhythmia can affect how well your heart works. With an irregular heartbeat, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs.

心律不整會影響心臟的運作。不規則的心跳可能會使心臟無法幫浦足夠的血液來滿足身體的需求。

Heart valve problems

心臟瓣膜的問題

When heart valves don’t open enough to allow the blood to flow through as it should, a condition called stenosis results. When the heart valves don’t close properly and thus allow blood to leak through, it’s called regurgitation. If the valve leaflets bulge or prolapse back into the upper chamber, it’s a condition called prolapse.

當心臟瓣膜打開的程度無法讓足夠的血液流過時，就會引起一種被稱為「狹窄」的疾病。當心臟瓣膜無法正確地關閉而使血液回漏時，則稱為「逆流」。如果瓣膜瓣葉突出或脫垂回到上腔室，則稱為「脫垂」。

Common treatments

常見的治療方法

Here are some common treatments for different types of cardiovascular disease:

以下是一些針對不同類型的心血管疾病常見的治療方法：

1. Heart Valve Problems心臟瓣膜問題

Medications藥物

Heart valve surgery心臟瓣膜手術

2. Arrhythmia心律不整

Medications藥物

Pacemaker心律調節器

3. Heart Attack心臟病發作

Medications — clotbusters (should be administered as soon as possible for certain types of heart attacks)

藥物:溶栓治療（對於特定類型的心臟病發作應盡快給予用藥）

Coronary angioplasty冠狀動脈成形術

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery冠狀動脈繞道手術

4. Stroke中風

Medications – clotbusters (must be administered within three hours from onset of stroke symptoms for certain types of strokes)

藥物:溶栓治療（對於特定類型的中風，必須在發作後三個小時內給予用藥）

Carotid endarterectomy頸動脈內膜切除術

Diagnostic tests, surgical procedures and medications

診斷測試、外科手術和藥物治療

In the hospital and during the first few weeks at home, the doctor may perform several tests and procedures. These tests help the doctor determine what caused the stroke or heart attack, and how much damage was done. Some tests monitor progress to see if treatment is working.

在醫院和最初在家的幾週之內，醫生可能會進行多項測試與治療程序。這些測試有助於醫生確定中風或心臟病發作的原因，以及造成的損傷程度。有一些測試會監測過程來確定治療是否有效。

Cardiac medications

心臟藥物

The medications prescribed in the wake of a cardiac event can aid in recovery and work to prevent another stroke or heart attack.

在與心臟疾病有關的事件發生後，醫生開出來的藥物可以用來幫助恢復並預防再一次發生中風或心臟病發作。

If you’re a caregiver, make it your responsibility to help your loved one take medications as directed and on time. Educate yourself about the medications that your loved one must take. Know what those medicines do, and what their goal is.

如果你是看護者，請依照指示和按時幫助你的親人服用藥物。多學習有關這些藥物的相關資訊，了解這些藥物的作用和目的。

It’s important to follow your doctor’s directions closely, so ask questions and take notes.

密切遵循醫囑是一件非常重要的事，所以應該多提問、多做筆記。