Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
what is atheroma
They are fibrous plaques made of fatty material which narrow the lumen of arteries
when does atheroma formations occur?
occurs when the lining of the artery is damaged usually by high blood pressure, so when white blood cells and platelets try repair the damage they clump together with lipids from the blood to form fatty streaks under the lining. over time this builds up forming atheroma.
what is Aneurysm?
A build up of blood behind a blockage causing the artery wall to bulge and weaken increasing the chance of the wall splitting causing internal bleeding which is often fatal
what is Thrombosis?
a formation of a blood clot due to an atheroma bursting through the endothelium causing a rough surface, so platets accumulate at the site of damage causing a clot which can completely block the arteries or veins
what is Angina
a build up of plaque in the coronary arteries which reduces blood flow to areas of the heart so there is a sufficient amount of blood reaching the heart causing anaerobic respiration, which leads to pain in chest and arms and also makes people breathless
what is a Stroke?
they are caused by ab interruption to the blood supply to the brain, like a damaged vessel, or a blockage cutting the blood supply, if occurs in main vessels could lead to a serious stroke, and in smaller arterioles the effects are less server
what is a Myocardial Infraction
heart attacks can be caused by atherosclerosis, the wall around the plaque are stiffened making them prone to cracks so platelets detect the damage triggering a clotting mechanism which can block the the whole blood vessel, if this occurs in a coronary artery it can cause a heart attack as the heart is starved of oxygen and nutrients stopping contracting.
what is hypertension (high bp) and how can it be controlled?
-due to increased pressure this damages the artery walls as there is an increased friction therfore increasing the risk of atheroma formation.
-risk factors include: being over weight, excessive alcohol consumption and not exercising enough
-to reduce the risk you can maintain a healthy weight, eat a diet with low saturated fats, do regular exercise
what is a risk high blood cholesterol and how can it be controlled?
-increased cholesterol increases risk of atheromas as it is a main constituent which causes the fatty deposits
-risk factors include a diet high in saturated fats
- to reduce high cholesterol eat a diet with low saturated fats and salt, exercise and maintain a healthy weight
what are the risks of smoking and how can it be controlled?
-increases risk of cardiovascular disease and myocardial infraction, the CO combines with the haemoglobin which reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the blood, smoking also decreases rhe amount of antioxidants in the blood
-reduce the risk by not smoking
what are other factors of cardiovascular disease which cannot be controlled?
-genetics
-age
-gender
-ethnicity
-other illnesses
What is myocardial infraction?
A blockage of corronary arteries (aka a heart attack)
