Cardiovascular Disease

Question 1

What is atherosclerosis

Answer 1

Accumulation of substances I.e fibres and salts

This forms an atheroma beneath endothelium of artery

Question 2

What happens when an atheroma grows?

Answer 2

Artery thickens and loses elasticity

Lumen narrows -restricts blood flow -increased blood pressure

Question 3

What can atherosclerosis cause? (3)

Answer 3

Cardiovascular diseases such as
Angina
Stroke
Heart attack

Question 4

What an contribute to formation of an atheroma ? (5)

Answer 4

Diabetes, low HDL AND LDL, high blood pressure, smoking and family history

Question 5

Describe thrombosis (4)

Answer 5

• Atheroma ruptures, damages endothelium which releases clotting factors
• this triggers reaction of inactive prothrombin activating thrombin
• thrombin the causes soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin
• fibrin forms mesh which traps platelets & blood cells to for thrombus ( clot)

Question 6

What happens when a thrombus breaks loose?

Answer 6

It forms an embolus

Question 7

What does an embolus do?

Answer 7

Travels through the bloodstream and could block a blood vessel

Question 8

What could the blocking of a blood vessel lead to ? (2)

Answer 8

Deprives the cell of oxygen

Lead to death of tissues

Question 9

What can a thrombus in the coronary artery cause?

Answer 9

Myocardial infarction (MI)

Question 10

What can a thrombus in a brains artery cause?

Answer 10

Stroke

Question 11

What is peripheral vascular disorder

Answer 11

Narrowing of arteries due to atherosclerosis

Question 12

What is deep vein thrombosis (2)

Answer 12

Formation of thrombus in a deep vein usually in lower leg

Pain in leg muscle due to lack of oxygen

Question 13

What is cholesterol (2)

Answer 13

• component of cell membrane and precursor for synthesis of steroids such as sex hormone
• most cholesterol synthesised by the liver from saturated fats

Question 14

What does HDL do?

Answer 14

Transports excess cholesterol from body cells to the liver for elimination so it doesn’t accumulate in blood

Question 15

What does HDL stand for?

What does LDL stand for?

Answer 15

High density lipoprotein

Low density lipoprotein

Question 16

What does LDL do?

Answer 16

Takes cholesterol to the body cells

Question 17

What do most cells have?

Answer 17

LDL receptors that take LDL into cells to release cholesterol

Question 18

What happens when a cell has sufficient cholesterol levels?

Answer 18

Negative feedback - inhibits ldl receptors so LDL continues to circulate around blood and can release cholesterol in arteries causing atheroma

Question 19

What is families hypercholesterolaemia and what is it caused by ?

Answer 19

Cause by autosomal dominance

High levels of cholesterol

Question 20

What happens in familial hypercholesterolaemia

Answer 20

Decreased number of LDL receptors so stops LDL releasing cholesterol into cells

Question 21

What can determine FH and what are treatment?

Answer 21

Genetic screening

Lifestyle choices and drugs like statin

Question 22

What can high HDL to low LDL cause ?

Answer 22

Lower blood cholesterol and less chance of atherosclerosis

Question 23

What can lower blood cholesterol

Answer 23

Physical activity
Less saturated fat in diet ( have in saturated)
Statins (drugs)