Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
What is this?
Atherosclerosis
What is atherosclerosis?
An arteriosclerosis characterized by atheromatous deposits in + fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries.
What is atherosclerosis characterised by?
Intimal lesions- Atheroma (atheromatous plaques) that protrude into vessel lumen.
What is this?
Atherosclerosis
What is an atheromatous plaque?
Raised proliferation of endothelium
Soft lipid core
White fibrous cap
What are the 7 main risk factors for atherosclerosis?
Age
Sex
Genetics
Hyperlipidaemia
HTN
Smoking
Diabetes Mellitus
How do the number of risk factors affect the risk of getting atherosclerosis?
2 RFs increase risk 4-fold
3 RFs increase risk 7-fold
What is the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis according to the response to injury hypothesis?
- Endothelial injury, disrupted flow, increased permeability
- LDL accumulation
- Monocyte adhesion to endothelium
- Monocyte migration into intima -> macrophages + foam cells
- Platelet adhesion
- Factor release from activated platelets
- Induces smooth muscle cell recruitment, proliferation, ECM production + T cell recruitment
- Lipid accumulation: extra + intracellular, macrophages + smooth muscle cells
What is this?
Atherosclerosis - smooth muscle proliferation
What is a fatty streak?
Earliest lesion
Lipid filled foamy macrophages
No flow disturbance
In ~all children >10yrs
Relationship to plaques uncertain
Same sites as plaques
What characterises an atherosclerotic plaque?
Patchy: cause local flow disturbances
Only involve a portion of wall
Rarely circumferential
Appear eccentric
Composed of cells, lipid, matrix
What is this?
Atherosclerotic plaque
What are 2 consequences of atheromas?
Stenosis
Acute plaque changes
What is stenosis?
Critical stenosis: demand > supply
Occurs at ~70% occlusion (or diameter <1mm)
Causes “stable” angina
Can lead to Chronic IHD
Acute plaque rupture can occur
What is this?
Plaque disruption Type 11 eccentric ragged stenosis
What is this?
Normal coronary artery
No atherosclerosis
Widely patent lumen that carries as much blood as the myocardium requires.
What are the acute plaque changes that can occur?
Rupture: Exposes prothrombogenic plaque contents
Erosion: Exposes prothrombogenic subendothelial basement membrane
Haemorrhage into plaque: Increase size
What characterises vulnerable plaques?
Large lipid core
Thin fibrous cap
Large inflammatory infiltrate
What is the mechanism for a rupture of a vulnerable plaque?
Adrenaline increases BP + causes vasoconstriction.
Increases physical stress on plaque.
Hence emotional stress increases risk of sudden death.
Circadian periodicity to sudden death (6am-noon).
How do vulnerable plaques contribute to plaque growth?
Not all rupture causes occlusion.
Plaque disruption with platelet aggregation + thrombosis probably common.
Important mechanism for plaque growth.
What can vasoconstriction be due to?
Adrenergic agonists
Platelet contents
Reduced endothelial relaxing factors
Mediators from perivascular cells
What is this?
Coronary atherosclerotic plaque with a yellow core of lipid separated from the lumen by a fibrous cap.
Opposite core = arc of normal vessel wall
What is ischaemic heart disease?
Group of conditions resulting from myocardial ischaemia.
Imbalance of supply to demand for oxygenated blood.
Less nutrients + less waste removal.
Therefore less well tolerated than pure hypoxia.
90% myocardial ischaemia due to reduced blood flow due to atherosclerosis.
Long silent progression prior to Sx
What is this?
IHD
What is this?
IHD
List 4 presentations of IHD
Angina pectoris
Myocardial infarction
Chronic IHD with heart failure
Sudden cardiac death
What is the epidemiology of IHD?
500,000 deaths yearly USA
50% fall in death rate since 1963 (peak)
Fall due to prevention + tx
But aging population
What is the predominant pathogenesis of IHD? What is this due to?
Insufficient coronary perfusion relative to myocardial demand
Due to chronic progressive atherosclerotic narrowing of epicardial coronary arteries + variable superimposed plaque change, thrombosis + vasospasm.
Where do plaques usually occur in IHD?
1st few cm of LAD or LCX
Entire length RCA
What is the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome?
Stable plaque becomes unstable.
Due to rupture, erosion, haemorrhage
Generally leads to superimposed thrombus which increases occlusion.