57 - Ischaemic Heart Disease Flashcards
Examples of acute ischaemic heart disease
Unstable angina, myocardial infarct, sudden cardiac death
Examples of chronic ischaemic heart disease
Stable angina, chronic myocardial ischaemia
Factors limiting coronary blood flow 1) 2) 3) 4)
1) Perfusion pressure 2) Coronary vascular resistance 3) External pressure 4) Intrinsic regulation
What could lead to decreased perfusion pressure in coronary arteries?
Systemic hypotension
What could lead to increased coronary vascular resistance?
Coronary artery atherosclerosis
What could lead to external compression of the coronary arteries?
Muscular wall of the ventricle contracts and compresses coronary arteries. Vessels of the subendocardium particularly get squeezed between contracting muscles and pressure inside the ventricle
Example of intrinsic regulation of coronary vessels 1) 2)
1) Endothelium releases prostacyclin, NO, endothelin 2) Adenosine, lactate, hydrogen are local metabolites
Typical blood flow in solid organs
Have a hilum. Blood flows from hilum to capsule or periphery
Typical blood flow in hollow organs
Fatty external layer contains vessels. Blood flows from outside to inside.
Where do infarcts often occur?
At end of blood supply (EG: Causing wedge-shaped necrosis in solid organs, causing infarcts near lumen in hollow organs)
Part of heart most vulnerable to infarction
Subendocardium
How do infarcts spread in the heart?
Begin in the inside, spread outwards (non-transmural -> transmural infarcts)
Coronary arteries 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
1) Left main 2) Left anterior descending 3) Left circumflex 4) Right coronary 5) Posterior descending
How to tell where is up and down on a cardiac slice 1) 2) 3)
1) Posterior side is more flat 2) Posterior side is less fatty 3) Posterior descending coronary artery is at septum
*Blood supply of the heart
Blood vessel supplying anterior wall and 2/3 of the septum in the heart
Left anterior descending coronary artery
Blood vessel supplying lateral wall of heart
Left circumflex coronary artery
Blood vessel supplying posterior wall of the heart
Posterior descending coronary artery
Where does the posterior descending coronary artery arise from?
In right-dominant heart (majority of people), from right coronary artery. In left-dominant people, from left circumflex coronary artery.
What is a heart attack?
Myocardial infarction. Imbalance between O2 supply and demand of myocardium, resulting in ischaemia and cell death.
Most common cause of myocardial infarct
Acute plaque event. Rupture or haemorrhage of atherosclerotic plaque, with formation of occlusive thrombus of coronary artery
30 minutes after myocardial infarct 1) 2) 3) 4)
1) No macroscopic, microscopic changes 2) Intracellular changes (EG: mitochondrial swelling) visible on electron microscope 3) Functional loss of contractility 4) Might see ECG changes (ST depression, T wave inversion) 5) Angina - REVERSIBLE INJURY
How long after ischaemia sets in does irreversible injury occur?
~30 minutes
Indicators of irreversible cardiac damage 1) 2)
1) Leaking of cardiac proteins (creatine kinase, troponin) 2) Leaking of current (ST segment elevation, ST segment depression, myocardial irritability)