Houston Northwest Medical Center Is Excited to
Host the AstraZeneca Artery Explorer
An Educational, Interactive Experience That Is More Than Just a Traveling Exhibit
Ever wonder what the inside of your arteries look like? Houston Northwest Medical Center is excited to host the AstraZeneca Artery Explorer, a fun, 3-D exhibit that will take participants on a virtual tour of an artery affected by atherosclerosis, the slow buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. Virtual rides inside the Artery Explorer are free and available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1 at Houston Northwest Medical Center, located at 710 FM 1960 West (between Red Oak Drive and Cali Road). The Artery Explorer is part of the Us Against Athero® -- Fighting Atherosclerosis with Knowledge campaign sponsored by AstraZeneca.
Participants can explore the inner workings of the heart and arteries as the educational, interactive exhibit shows the effects that smoking and other factors have on blood as it travels through the arteries. During the video simulation, participants ride along human arteries into the heart and encounter dangerous plaque buildup and other adventures that help provide a sense of how red blood cells travel through the human circulatory system. The exhibit is designed to provide riders a better understanding of the importance of protecting their heart and the dangers of atherosclerosis, a leading cause of coronary heart disease.
Arteries clogged due to atherosclerosis can slow or cut off the flow of blood to the brain and heart and lead to a heart attack or stroke. While the condition is primarily a disease of medium and large arteries, it can cause conditions in other arteries, such as peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and even erectile dysfunction.
Statistics show that atherosclerosis is a leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke, which were responsible for more than 589,000 deaths in 2005, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all deaths in the United States. Each year more than 1.2 million will suffer a coronary attack and almost 800,000 people will suffer a stroke. In addition, about 8 million Americans are affected by peripheral arterial disease. For more information about the AstraZeneca Artery Explorer, visit www.hnmc.com/arterytour.