2. Ask your questions.

1. ________________________________? – 350 people were examined.

2. ________________________________? – It is also called hypertension.

3. ________________________________? – It is important because it can increase the chances of heart problems…

4. ________________________________? – The gene produces a protein that controls the function of the kidneys.

5. ________________________________? – It will help us personalize the treatment.

6. ________________________________? – Yes, everybody may be prone to hypertension.

7. ________________________________? – Yes, your family history of high BP can increase your risk of having it.

3. Use the article to write about the bp gene research. Write about:

1. the background of the study,

2. the aim of the study,

3. the material and methods,

4. the results,

5. the conclusions.

4. Read the passage and answer the questions: How is hypertension formally diagnosed in the uk? Why is “ambulatory” bp monitoring advised?

High BP affects about a quarter of all adults in the UK. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease or stroke and costs the NHS about £1bn a year in drugs alone. These days, most patients are given a formal diagnosis of hypertension if their BP is raised at two subsequent (последовательный) visits to the doctor. They may then be prescribed medication to lower it. Research suggests, however, that about a quarter of patients actually have "white coat" hypertension that leads to misdiagnosis and administering drugs the patients don’t need. So doctors in the UK are advised to move towards "ambulatory" monitoring of patients at home, using a mobile device that automatically takes BP readings every 30 minutes day and night.

4. Explain to your patient the necessity of knowing their blood pressure. Tell them how high blood pressure can cause developing other diseases. Try to avoid a lot of specific medical terms.

UNIT 5. CORONARY HEART DISEASE.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) закупорить / закупоренные артерии; 2) бляшка; 3) плохая наследственность по сердечно-сосудистым заболеваниям; 4) снизить риск развития ишемической болезни сердца; 5) повреждать стенки артерий; 6) кровоток; 7) сгусток крови; 8) стенокардия; 9) питательные вещества; 10) ускорить процесс.

Coronary heart disease: causes and risk factors

Coronary heart disease occurs when your coronary arteries become clogged with fatty material called ‘plaque’ or ‘atheroma’. Plaque slowly builds up on the inner wall of the arteries, causing them to become narrow. This process is called ‘atherosclerosis’. It can start when you are young and be well advanced by middle age.

There is no single cause for coronary heart disease, but there are ‘risk factors’ that increase your chance of developing it. There are ‘modifiable’ risk factors (ones that you can change) and ‘non-modifiable’ risk factors (ones that you can’t change). Modifiable risk factors include: smoking; high total blood cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; being physically inactive; being overweight; depression, etc. Risk factors that you can’t change include increasing age, being male and having a family history of heart disease. The good news is that you can reduce your overall risk of developing coronary heart disease by leading a healthy lifestyle and taking medicines as prescribed by your doctor.

Smoking affects the arteries that supply blood to your heart and other parts of your body. It reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and damages your artery walls. Smoking increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Smoking makes your blood ‘stickier’, causing blood cells to clump together. This slows blood flow through your arteries and makes blockages more common. Blockages may cause heart attack and stroke.

Smokers often have cold hands or feet as a result of clogged arteries, which may also lead to serious problems such as gangrene. If the clogged artery is your coronary artery, it can cause angina. If a blood clot forms in the narrowed coronary artery and completely blocks the blood supply to a part of your heart, it can cause a heart attack.

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in your arteries (the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the body) as it is pumped around the body by the heart. Blood pressure depends on two main things: the amount of blood pumped by the heart and how easily the blood can flow through the arteries.

Your blood pressure will go up and down throughout the day, depending on the time of day and what you are doing. Your family history, eating patterns, alcohol intake, weight and level of physical activity have a strong influence on blood pressure.

High blood pressure can overload the heart and coronary arteries and speed up the artery-clogging process. This can lead to problems such as heart attack and stroke.

High blood pressure can also affect arteries to other parts of the body, such as the eyes, kidneys and legs.

1. Decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones. 1. Young people never have atherosclerosis.

2. You can influence the process of developing atherosclerosis.

3. Healthy lifestyle increases the risk of having coronary heart disease.

4. High blood pressure can overload your stomach.

5. Your blood pressure doesn’t depend on the time of the day.

6. Men have coronary heart disease more often than women.

7. High blood pressure does not only influence your heart but some other organs as well.

2. Complete the sentences.

1) Being overweight can be a problem because ………

2) Having sticky blood can be a problem because …………

3) Having a family history of heart disease can be a problem because ………

4) Having cold hands and feet can be a big problem because ………

3. Ask questions you might ask your doctor about coronary heart disease.

4. Fill in the gaps to complete the summary of the article.

1. The article is about ………….

2. Its risk factors are ………….

3. Smoking ………….

4. High blood pressure ………….

5. Explain to your patient how to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Do not forget to mention the factors that cannot be changed, but must be taken into consideration (приняты во внимание).

6. 1) Write a short summary of the article.

2) Explain to your patient that it is more efficient to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids than their supplements.

The recent research analysis has shown that to prevent heart disease is necessary to eat oily fish such as salmon and tuna, which are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not their supplements.

There were 14 published medical studies selected. The researchers looked at more than 20,000 patients who had a history of cardiovascular disease. The patients' average age was 63. Nearly 80% were men. The daily dose of omega-3 fatty acid supplement ranged from about 0.5g to nearly 5g a day.

It was essential to find out if the supplements made a difference in sudden cardiac death, heart attack, heart failure, death from any cause, stroke or transient ischemic attacks (also called ‘mini-strokes’). The conclusion was that the risk of any of those problems was not reduced by the supplements.

However, there were all the reasons to believe that it was effective to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not supplements. It was demonstrated that eating fatty fish 2 or more times a week is linked with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. For those who don't like fish, eating plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed (семя льна), walnut (грецкий орех), soybean is suggested.

UNIT 6. MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) данные, информация; 2) предполагаемый сердечный приступ; 3) необъяснимая тревожность; 4) более точный анализ; 5) тошнота; 6) рвота; 7) потоотделение.

Heart attack test 'detects more'

Scientists developed a test that could measure damage to heart muscles at a level 4 times deeper than the standard blood test. The blood test measures a protein - troponin - which is released when heart cells are damaged during a heart attack (or myocardial infarction or MI). MI usually happens when the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle is completely interrupted or stops, usually when a blood clot forms in a diseased coronary artery that's already become narrowed by atherosclerosis.

Data from more than 2,000 patients admitted to cardiac units with chest pains and suspected heart attacks was analyzed. Apart from chest pain, most of the patients had difficulty breathing, sweating, nausea or vomiting, felt unexplained anxiety and weakness. However, there were patients with minor heart attacks who hardly had any symptoms of MI and did not have any chest pains.

Researchers said the more sensitive test could help identify heart attacks which could be traditionally undiagnosed and patients were more likely to see a specialist.

Prof. Peter Weissberg commented: "This promising study shows us that by using a more sensitive test for heart muscle damage, more patients who come to hospital with chest pains are identified as having suffered a small heart attack. Over recent years it has become clear that people who suffer heart pain (but only have a small amount of heart damage) are at a very high risk of going on to have a larger, potentially fatal, heart attack if left untreated. The new test will help doctors identify this vulnerable group of patients."

1. Answer the questions about myocardial infarction.

1. How does the article explain what myocardial infarction is?

2. What symptoms of MI are given in the article?

3. According to the article, why can it be a problem to diagnose MI?

2. Summarize your answers and explain why it was necessary to find a new way to diagnose MI in addition to existing tests, i.e. formulate the background of the research project described in the article.

3. Read the statements about the research project described in the article. Which of them are false? Correct them.

1) The research team wanted to find a more sensitive test to identify even minor MIs.

2) Troponin measured by the test is a hormone produced by the heart muscle.

3) The data for the study was collected from the patients with diagnosed MIs.

4) All of the patients had typical clinical manifestations of MI.

5) Heart pain if untreated can lead to larger MIs.

4. Summarize the information about the troponin study. Present your summary to the class.

5. Read the passage and answer the question: Why can it be a problem to diagnose a heart attack using ECG?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abnormalities in the electrical activity usually occur with heart attacks and can identify the areas of heart muscle that are deprived of oxygen and/or areas of muscle that have died. In a patient with typical symptoms of heart attack and characteristic changes of heart attack on the ECG, a secure diagnosis of heart attack can be made quickly in the emergency room and treatment can be started immediately. If a patient's symptoms are vague or atypical and if there are pre-existing ECG abnormalities, for example, from old heart attacks or abnormal electrical patterns that make interpretation of the ECG difficult, the diagnosis of a heart attack may be less secure. In these patients, the diagnosis can be made only hours later through detection of elevated cardiac enzymes in the blood.

UNIT 7. HAEMOPHILIA AND HEART RISK.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) свертываться (о крови); 2) кровоточить, терять кровь; 3) свертывающий фактор (крови) / свертывающая способность; 4) вероятность (напр., развития болезни); 5) выяснить; 6) смертность; 7) разработать способы защиты от; 8) незначительная рана.

'Hidden haemophilia' cuts heart risk

1) Haemophilia is a disease in which the patient is unable to make enough of a particular chemical which helps clot the blood. If untreated, patients can bleed uncontrollably from the slightest injury.

2) It is caused by a defective gene - but not everyone who carries the gene develops the illness. The gene is found on the X sex chromosome - males have just 1 copy of this, and women have 2. This means that if men have a defective gene, they will become haemophiliac. Women need defective copies on both of their X chromosomes before illness will start. But a woman with just 1 correct copy will still produce less of the vital clotting factor than someone with 2 good copies.

3) Scientists have believed for some time that the likelihood of getting heart disease might be in part related to the ability of the blood to clot - the more "sticky" the blood, the more likely the heart disease would follow.

4) The research team wanted to find out if having a reduced ability to clot blood might be a protective factor. They tracked down the records of mothers of more than 1,000 men who had developed haemophilia. All of the women must carry one copy of the haemophilia gene. The researchers studied how many of the women had died from causes related to heart disease. They found that mortality from this cause was down 22% compared with the general population - however, there was an increase in the risk of a serious brain haemorrhage.

5) This relationship between reduced clotting ability and heart disease could help doctors work out ways to protect people at risk from heart problems.

1. Write down the number of the passage that describes the mechanism of haemophilia. Ask 3 questions about it.

2. Write down the number of the passage that describes the study. Translate it into Russian.

3. Choose the one correct answer to the question: What was the aim of the study?

   1. To understand the mechanism of haemophilia.

   2. To protect women from haemophilia.

   3. To study haemophilia as a protection from heart problems.

   4. To study causes of brain haemorrhage.

4. Which of the statements are false? Correct them.

   1. Only women may have the gene that causes haemophilia.

   2. The risk of having heart disease depends on the ability of the blood to clot.

   3. People with haemophilia are at greater risk of having brain haemorrhage.

   4. The women who took part in the study had died of uncontrollable bleeding.

5. Write your summary of the article.

6. Read the passage and tell the class how modern medicine can help hemophiliac patients.

There's no cure for haemophilia and, although patients are treated with injections of the missing clotting factor, there's no permanent way of increasing its level. So the mainstay of treatment is replacement of the missing clotting factor. This is known as replacement therapy and these days it usually consists of injections of concentrates of artificially produced clotting factors (made using recombinant technology, rather the old method of extracting the clotting factors from donated blood). In severe haemophilia, injections may be given on a regular basis several times a week. This is called prophylaxis, and it aims to help prevent bleeding from happening. In mild or moderate haemophilia injections are given just when a bleed has or may have occurred (this is called on-demand therapy).

UNIT 8. GASTROENTERITIS.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) пищевое отравление; 2) озноб; 3) чувство слабости, физического истощения; 4) проводить исследование; 5) просроченные продукты; 6) ювелирные украшения; 7) миски домашних питомцев; 8) хранение продуктов; 9) тщательно мыть руки после туалета; 10) значительное уменьшение (напр., числа инфекций).

Health risk from bad food hygiene

Each year there are millions of cases of gastroenteritis (or “stomach flu”, although it is not caused by the influenza viruses). For an increasing number of people, it's due to food poisoning, something that can be prevented.

The symptoms of gastroenteritis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. Food poisoning is the type of gastroenteritis caused by eating or drinking something contaminated with micro-organisms or germs, or by toxic substances produced by these germs. They are often accompanied by fever, muscle aches, shivering and feeling exhausted.

The survey, carried out for National Food Safety Week, found that 12% of people only change or disinfect their kitchen sponge once a month and 6% change it even less often. And a third of people find it possible to eat food that is past its use-by date. 4 out of 10 respondents said they never removed jewellery before preparing food and of those with pets, 14% said they washed their pets’ bowls with their own washing-up - risking cross contamination.

Food storage was also found to be a big area of getting infection. Nearly half did not know they needed to keep their fridge at 0C to 5C to store food safely. And 16% stored raw meat on the top shelf of the fridge - risking the chance that juices could drip onto ready-to-eat foods below. 1 in 6 does not use separate chopping boards for raw meat and vegetables.

Hugh Pennington, professor of bacteriology, said: "The bad news is that 79,283 cases of food poisoning in the UK is the tip of a very unpleasant iceberg - many suffer in silence and are too embarrassed to tell.

Professor Peter Borriello added: "Good food is one of life's great pleasures. However, food-poisoning can be one of our worst memories. If everyone washes their hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, before and after cooking food and before sitting down to eat, we will see massive reductions in a range of unpleasant infections."

"Apart from immunizing their children against disease, thorough hand-washing and safe storage, preparation and cooking of food are the most important things that people can do to protect themselves and others from infection."