Cardiovascular Disease

Question 1

*What is heart disease?

Answer 1

CVD disease are diseases that affect the heart + blood vessels, mainly related to ATHEROSCLEROSIS.

Question 2

*What is atherosclerosis?

Answer 2

a build up of plaque that narrows arteries, making it harder for blood to flow + blood clots can stop flow completely, so the heart doesn’t get the O2 and nutrients it needs.

Question 3

What are the risk factors of atherosclerosis?

Answer 3

Diet
Sedentary lifestyle
Hypertension
Tobacco Use
Diabetes
Obesity
Blood Lipids
Male

Question 4

How do atherosclerosis occur?

Answer 4

An inflammatory process.

• Endothelium of blood vessels (BV) exposed to LDL cholesterol, making it permeable.
• WBCs migrate to deep layers of BV wall.
• LDL particles engulfed by macrophages
• Fibrous cap forms (can cause blood clots if explodes or due to shape + size)
• Lesions enlarge = lipids accumulate + bulge
• May block a coronary or cerebral BV

Resulting in heart attack or stroke

Question 5

What results from atherosclerosis?

Answer 5

• Hypertension as less space, same vol
• Angina/Ishchaemic heart disease where BVs temporarily stop working
• Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
• Heart Failure

Question 6

*What is hypertension?

Answer 6

High BP.
Leading cause of CVD disease + mortality as disease symptoms + organ damage not evident until 10-15 years after hypertension starts.

Question 7

What is blood pressure?

Answer 7

measure how hard blood pushes against the blood vessel walls

Question 8

What is optimal BP?

Answer 8

<120-129/<80-85

Question 9

What is high BP?

Answer 9

140/90 or higher

Question 10

What is high normal BP?

Answer 10

130-139/80-89 or higher

Question 11

What is mmHg?

Answer 11

millimetre of mercury

Question 12

What long-term effects are there on high BP?

Answer 12

• Inc. stroke risk
• Inc. risk of heart disease
• Damage to kidneys + eyes
• Cause impotence
• Disrupt circulation

Question 13

What cause hypertension?

Answer 13

Exact cause not known.

• Inc. sympathetic activity + Sodium overload
• Renal disease + inc. renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activity raises BP (also causes sodium + fluid retention)
• Smoking, High BMI, inc. Na consumption

Question 14

*What is stable ischemic heart disease?

Answer 14

A lack of O2 getting to the heart for a period of time.

Question 15

What is stable IHT caused by?

Answer 15

Obstruction of the coronary arteries by either atheromatous plaque or by a blood clot due to high BP.

MOST common cause is atherosclerotic disease of the coronary artery.

Question 16

How can IHT be treated?

Answer 16

Bypass surgery - artery taken from leg and replaces blocked artery

Question 17

What are the clinical manifestations of IHT?

Answer 17

• w/out symptoms = sudden death
• Angina pectoris = chest pain due to episodic myocardial ischemia = MOST COMMON
• Unstable Angina
• Heart Attack = complete blockage

Question 18

How can one survive a heart attack from a complete blockage of the arteries?

Answer 18

Heart cells deprived of O2 become ischemic + die + form an infarct. May result in sudden death OR…

…may undergo healing process + replaced with connective tissue which can weaken heart + develop congestive failure/cardiac arrhythmias