CARDIAC LECTURE 1: Epidemiology & coronary heart disease Flashcards
Cardiac disease is the ____ cause of death in Canada
2nd
What is the most common type of heart disease in Canada?
Ischemic
What are 5 causes of heart disease?
- Rupture
- Obstruction
- Improper flow (backward, diverted)
- Failure to pump (contraction, emptying, relaxing)
- Conduction defect
What is the general term for diseases where insufficiency of oxygen leads to damage of the myocardium?
Coronary heart disease
What are 2 ways cardiac myocytes initially adapt to hypoxia?
- Generates anastomoses to bypass blockage
- Vasodilation
At what point are the effects of CHD felt?
When the vessel is about 70% occluded
What are 2 main consequences of ATP depletion in a hypoxic state?
- Na+/K+ pump cannot work, causing influx of Na+ and fluid (swelling)
- Anaerobic metabolism, causing acidity
What are 3 other consequences of ATP depletion in a hypoxic state?
- Ribosome detachment
- Decreased protein synthesis
- Lipid deposition
What is the mechanism behind angina?
Injured cells release chemicals that activate nociceptors
Why is anginal pain often felt at other places than the heart?
Referred pain: Sensations from upper abdomen, shoulders, arms, neck, lower jaw travel along same pathways and enter spinal cord at same region
What are 3 patterns of angina?
- Stable angina
- Vasospastic angina
- Unstable/crescendo angina
What kind of angina normally manifests when cardiac workload is increased, and reduces at rest?
Stable angina
What is the mechanism behind stable angina?
Stenotic/atherosclerotic coronary vessels dilate poorly in response to increased demand
What kind of angina is characterized by unpredictable attacks, predominantly at rest?
Vasospastic (Prinzmetal, variant) angina
What are 3 possible mechanisms behind vasospastic angina?
- Vascular smooth muscle hyperreactivity
- ANS imbalance
- Endothelial dysfunction
What are 2 treatments for vasospastic angina?
- CCBs
- Nitro
What kind of angina is characterized by increasingly frequent pain with progressively less exertion?
Unstable/crescendo angina
What is the mechanism behind unstable angina?
Stenotic coronary artery is further blocked by a ruptured plaque or embolism and leads to a severe obstruction
What are 2 possible outcomes for unstable angina?
- Clot dissolves before myocardial tissue dies
- Myocardial infarction
What is the term for necrossi of cardiac muscle due to prolonged ischemia?
Myocardial infarction
How long until ischemia leads to irreversible changes/necrosis?
20-30 minutes
Why may the outside of the heart appear healthy despite necrosis occuring?
The epicardium is affected last by MI