Frequently Asked Questions
For information on specific vascular disorders and treatments, please see our vascular disease section
What is a Pulmonary Embolism?
What is Warfarin?
What is Cholesterol?
What is a Statin?
What is a Pulmonary Embolism?
A pulmonary embolism (PE) happens when a piece of the blood clot from a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs.
The artery that supplies your lungs is called the pulmonary artery. If this gets blocked it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath or coughing up phlegm tinged with blood.
In severe cases it can be fatal. PE can happen hours or even days after the DVT has formed, and may occur when there have been no obvious signs of a DVT. You should seek emergency medical treatment if you have symptoms of PE.
What is Warfarin?
Warfarin is an anticoagulant medication. This means that it stops the blood from clotting.
Warfarin is used when treating and preventing thrombosis (blood clots) and embolism (a blood clot that has moved and blocked blood supply to a vital organ). It is used to treat and prevent the following health conditions:
- Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the veins of the legs).
- Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs).
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) – warfarin can be used as treatment following a TIA (sometimes called a mini-stroke).
- Blood clots – warfarin can be used to prevent blood clots in other parts of the body if you are at an increased risk. For example, if you have rheumatic heart disease, atrial fibrillation or after insertion of prosthetic (artificial) heart valves.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is required to build healthy cells (it builds and maintains cell membranes) and to perform other bodily functions, but high levels in the body can be dangerous.
When cholesterol collects in your body, it hardens your arteries and coats them with plaque. As well as the cholesterol consumed in foods, the liver produces its own cholesterol for cell building (about 1000mg/day).
A healthy diet and regular exercise can help to lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
What is a Statin?
Statin medication is prescribed to help regulate blood cholesterol levels by reducing the cholesterol in the body and increasing the removal of cholesterol from the blood.
Along with cholesterol, the liver also produces LDL receptors. LDL (low density lipoprotein) transports cholesterol around the body in blood. LDL receptors grab hold of the LDL particles from the blood and put them to use in the cells.
Statin medication inhibits your liver from creating its own cholesterol at the same time as enhancing the production of LDL receptors.
What is a stent?
A stent is a small tube used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries in the body. They are inserted into the arteries during surgery to help:
- Widen and protect the artery from bursting
- Improve blood flow
- Prevent the artery from furring up after a treatment (angioplasty)
Stents are usually made of metal mesh, but some are made from fabric.
Fabric stents, also called stent grafts, are used in larger arteries.
Some stents are coated with medicines that help prevent the artery from becoming blocked again.