The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart (cardio) and the blood vessels (vascular), and is responsible for maintaining the circulation of oxygenated blood around the body. The right side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood from the body at low pressure from the veins into the lungs, where it collects oxygen. The left side receives the oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it at high pressure around the body through the dividing network of arteries which ends with the capillaries. The blood then makes its return journey back to the heart through progressively larger veins.
In this section, you'll find a wide range of information on the conditions and diseases that may affect the efficient working of the cardiovascular system, including atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries), aneurisms (weakened, bulging blood vessel walls), coronary heart disease (CHD) and rheumatic heart disease, along with a guide to Reynaud's (where the blood vessels exhibit an exaggerated response to cold) and varicose veins.
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