The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart and blood vessels.
The heart consists mostly of a cardiac muscle or myocardium. This muscle works
constantly throughout our lives and its cells have the highest energy demand of
all the cells in our body.
Arterial vessels transport blood pumped by the myocardium to the capillary circuit. In contrast, venous vessels transport blood from the capillaries back to the heart.
Healthy circulatory systems depends on:
- Ability of the heart muscle to pump blood with sufficient force, to contract regularly, how
well it is provided with arterial blood through coronary vessels (arteries supplying
blood to the heart muscle).
-Ability of the arteries to properly transport blood. Advanced atheroslerosis or lack of
arterial flexibility limits this ability.
-Elasticity of venous vessels. It is critical because it prevents blood stasis, varicose vein development and deep vein thrombosis which can lead to blood clots.