Atherosclerosis Flashcards
atherosclerosis
- thickening/hardening of arteries
- caused by buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery
arteriosclerosis
- general term describing hardening arteries
- group of disorders that have hardening and loss of elasticity of arterial walls in common
atherogenesis
development of atheromatous plaques
what does atherosclerosis cause?
- stenosis of aorta, coronary, cerebral
- myocardial infarction, cardiac arrests
- less comonly causes periperal vascular disease + ischaemic heart disease
plaques causes stenosis which cause…
- hypoperfusion
- blood clots
what is hypoperfusion?
- poor circulation of blood from heart to lungs
- reduced oxygen and nutrient availability
when artery becomes hardened…
- increased blood pressure
- angina
what is angina?
chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to heart muscles
when artery becomes wider may develop…
aneurysm that could rupture
plaques may rupture releasing…
balls of debris and clots that forms embolism
what do embolisms cause?
coronary + cerebral thrombosis
stages of atherosclerosis
refer to notes
non-modifiable risk factors for atherosclerosis
- age - older you are, more likely to develop
- gender - men more likely at earlier age
- family history - if male before 55 or female before 65 had it - higher risk
- ethnicity - south asian high risk of diabetes which is risk factor for atherosclerosis
modifiable risk factors
- smoking
- diabetes - damages walls of arteries which increases risk
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- body weight - being obese
lumen of the arterial wall is lined by a layer of …
endothelial cells
three layers after the endothelium of an arterial wall
- intima - sub-endothelial space
- media - smooth muscle cells
- adventitial - connective tissue + nerves
outer layer of lipoprotein consists of a …
single layer of phopholipid + cholesterol
high or low conc of LDL contributes to atherosclerosis?
high
high or low conc of HDL contributes to atherosclerosis?
low
compounds formed when lipids are oxidised by macrophages?
- lipidhydroperoxides
- lysophospholipids
- carbony compounds
what is the importance of the lipids oxidisied inactivating nitric oxide?
prevents nitric oxide acting as a vasodilator + signalling molecule
