Atherosclerosis Flashcards
what is atherosclerosis
it is the hardening of arteries due to the formation of atheromas in the tunica intima
Atheroma
is a fibrous plaque with a lipid LDL core
what are the consequences of atherosclerosis
myocardial infarction, lower limb gangrene, cerebral infarction, aortic aneurysm
what are the components of atheromas
macrophages, T cells, sm cells, CT, lipid deposits
what are the 3 stages of plaque development
- fatty streak
- atheroma
- complicated lesion
How is a fatty streak formed?
excess LDL cholesterol deposits inbetween the endothelium and CT. macrophages engulf it, and release paracrine hormones to call sm cells.
How is a fibrous plaque formed?
- accumulation of IC, EC lipids
- proliferation of smooth muscle cells
- formation of scar tissue
atherosclerosis is due to
- endothelial injury with leukocyte adhesion
- sm cell emigration ad proliferation
- formation of foam cells
inflammation of blood vessels can be due to
- hemodynamic disurbances
- hyperlipidemia
- smoking, hypertension
functions of C reactive protein
opsonizing bacteria, and activating complement
