2.7

Question 1

what are cardiovascular disease

Answer 1

diseases of the heart and it’s associated blood vessels

Question 2

what are the main types of cvd

Answer 2

• coronary heart disease
• heart attacks
• angina
• stroke
• peripheral artery disease

Question 3

what is coronary heart disease

Answer 3

a build up of fatty substances in the coronary artery

Question 4

what is a heart attack

Answer 4

when supply of blood to the heart is blocked

Question 5

what is angina

Answer 5

chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heary

Question 6

what is a stroke

Answer 6

when supply of blood to part of the brain is blocked

Question 7

what is peripheral vascular disorder

Answer 7

blocked blood vessels not associated with the heart or brain

Question 8

what is the root cause of cvd’s

Answer 8

atherosclerosis

Question 9

what is atherosclerosis

Answer 9

the accumulation of fatty material which forms an a thermos or plaque beneath the endothelium of an artery

Question 10

what is the fatty material in atherosclerosis made of

Answer 10

• cholesterol
• fibrous material
• calcium

Question 11

what are the problems caused by atheromas growing

Answer 11

• the artery thickens and loses its elasticity
• the diameter of the lumen becomes reduced and blood flow is restricted resulting in increased blood pressure

Question 12

what is thrombosis

Answer 12

the formation of a clot

Question 13

what are the stages of thrombosis

Answer 13

1. atheromas may rupture and damage the endothelium
2. hothead damage caused the release of clotting factors that cause a cascade of reactions which results in the conversion of enzyme prothrombin to its active form thrombin
3. thrombin causes molecules of the plasma protein fibrinogen to from threads of fibrin
4. the fibrin threads form a mesh work that clots the blood, seals the wound and provided scaffold for the formation of scar tissue

Question 14

what happens when a thrombus breaks loose

Answer 14

it forms an embolus which travels through the bloodstream until it blocks a blood vessel

Question 15

how does an embolus lead to the death of tissue

Answer 15

it blocks the blood vessel which means it becomes deprived of oxygen

Question 16

what might a thrombosis in a coronary artery lead to

Answer 16

a myocardial infraction (commonly known as heart attack)

Question 17

what might a thrombosis in the brain lead to

Answer 17

a stroke

Question 18

what are the peripheral arteries

Answer 18

arteries other than those of the heart and brain

Question 19

what is peripheral vascular disease

Answer 19

narrowing of peripheral arteries due to atherosclerosis

Question 20

which arteries are most commonly affected by peripheral artery disease

Answer 20

arteries in the legs

Question 21

what is deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Answer 21

a blood clot that forms in a deep vein (most commonly legs due to lack of movement)

Question 22

what are symptoms of dvt and why do they occur

Answer 22

pain and swelling occur due to lack of oxygen

Question 23

what is it called when an embolus blocks the pulmonary artery in the lungs

Answer 23

pulmonary embolism

Question 24

what are symptoms of a pulmonary embolism

Answer 24

chest pain, breathing difficulties and palpitations

Question 25

what is cholesterol

Answer 25

a type of lipid found in the cell membrane

Question 26

what is cholesterol used for

Answer 26

to make the sex hormones - testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone

Question 27

what cells synthesise cholesterol

Answer 27

all cellsn

Question 28

where does 25% of cholesterol production take place

Answer 28

liver

Question 29

what causes an increase in the cholesterol levels in the blood

Answer 29

a diet high in saturated fats or cholesterol

Question 30

what are lipoproteins

Answer 30

molecules containing lipid and protein

Question 31

where are lipoproteins present

Answer 31

in blood plasma

Question 32

what is the role of lipoproteins

Answer 32

to transport lipids from one part of the body to another

Question 33

what are the two types of lipoproteins

Answer 33

- high-density lipoproteins (hdl) - low-density lipoproteins (ldl)

Question 34

what do high density lipoproteins do

Answer 34

they transport excess cholesterol from the body cells to the liver for elimination, preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in blood

Question 35

why don’t high density lipoproteins contribute to atherosclerosis

Answer 35

because hdl-cholesterol is not taken into artery walls

Question 36

what do low density lipoproteins do

Answer 36

they transport cholesterol to body cells

Question 37

what do ldl receptors on the cell membrane do

Answer 37

they take ldl-cholesterol into the cell where it releases it’s cholesterol or use by the cell

Question 38

how does negative feedback control of ldl receptors work

Answer 38

once a cell has sufficient cholesterol, a neg feedback system inhibits the synthesis of new ldl receptors and ldl-cholesterol circulates in the blood where it may deposit cholesterol in the arteries forming atheromas

Question 39

what does a higher ratio of hdl to ldl result in

Answer 39

lower blood cholesterol and a reduced change of atherosclerosis (and cvd)

Question 40

how does regular physical activity reduce cholesterol levels

Answer 40

it tends to raise hdl levels

Question 41

how do dietary changes lower cholesterol levels

Answer 41

they aim to reduce the levels of total fat in the diet and to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat

Question 42

how do statins reduce cholesterol levels

Answer 42

by inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol by liver cells