cardiovascular disease Flashcards
what is cholesterol
a fatty substance needed by the body to make things like cell membranes
what can too much cholesterol cause in the arteries
fatty deposits to build up in the arteries
areas where fatty deposits occur and example of how this can happen
where the artery wall has been damaged e.g high blood pressure
what do fatty deposits cause in the arteries and what happens overtime
the narrowing of arteries, restricting blood flow and overtime the deposits harden, forming atheromas
what is coronary heart disease
when the coronary arteries have lots of atheromas in them which restricts blood flow to the heart
how can a blood clot occur
if bits of atheromas break off or damage the blood vessel
explain how atheromas in the arteries can lead to a heart attack
if atheromas block an artery that supplies the oxygen to the heart it can deprive the heart of oxygen, leading to a heart attack
how can a stroke occur
if there is a complete blockage of artheromas or blood clots in an artery in the brain
(as its deprive of oxygen)
how is smoking a risk factor of CVD
as the nicotine in the cigarette smoke increases the hr which increases the bp which increases the risk of atheromas forming in the arteries
how can high levels of fat and salt be a risk of CVD
too much fat can increase blood cholesterol levels and too much salt can increase blood pressure
how can the lack of exercise be a risk of CVD
as exercise can lower both blood pressure and blood cholesterol therefore the lack of exercise can increase them
what is an unavoidable risk of CVD
genetics
how can lifestyle changes reduce the risk of developing CVD but why is difficult
as it lowers blood pressure but it takes a lot of self discipline
what can statins do
reduce the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream which slows down the rate of fatty deposits forming, reducing the risk of atheromas
side effects of statins
aching muscles and liver damage
