The circulatory system is responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to body cells. Blood pumped from the heart circulates through the body, returns to the heart, and is then sent to the lungs for fresh oxygen. The system has much in common with a mechanical pumping apparatus—the heart is analogous to a pump, the vessels to pipes, and the blood to a pumped fluid. Like any mechanical pump, a failure in any one of these components can lead to potentially devastating circulatory failures.
Congestive Heart Failure
There are several possible diseases of the heart muscle, and congestive heart failure is one of the most common. According to the American Heart Association, this results from any process that decreases the ability of heart to send blood to the other organs. One or more serious heart attacks, for instance, can lead to congestive heart failure. A heart attack is the result of a blood clot becoming lodged in one of the blood vessels that feeds the heart muscle itself. Even though the heart is full of blood, the muscle can’t use the blood it’s pumping; instead, it has to send blood to its cells via vessels, just like any other body organ. If one of these vessels becomes clogged, part of the heart muscle will become oxygen-starved, and the cells of the heart muscle will die. This produces a dead spot in the muscle that can no longer participate in pumping, limiting the ability of the heart to circulate blood to all cells.
Atherosclerosis
One of the most common and serious of the blood vessel diseases is atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. MayoClinic.com explains that this generally results from overconsumption of saturated and processed, or trans, fats, which raise blood cholesterol and form plaques on the interior surfaces of arteries. As blood is ejected from the heart and passes through arteries, it stretches and stresses them. Normal arteries are able to handle this stress, but hardened arteries with plaque clogs may tear and bleed, producing clots that can block the passage of blood to other organs. Further, plaques themselves can become so large that they narrow the arteries and limit the ability of the heart to deliver blood.
Sickle Cell Anemia
The final major component of the pumping mechanism that is the cardiovascular system is the fluid itself—the blood. Sickle cell anemia is a serious and potentially fatal blood disease, explains the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. It’s inherited genetically, and produces misshapen red blood cells that have limited ability to carry oxygen to cells. Even with a healthy heart and healthy blood vessels, if red blood cells can’t carry oxygen, the circulatory system fails. Sickle cell anemia, left untreated by transfusions or marrow transplants, is often fatal.
