Cardiovascular diseases

Question 1

What is high blood pressure?

Answer 1

Hypertension.
Normally chronic.

Primary (90%); combo of genetic and environmental factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, diet, and age.

Secondary (less common)cause includes; renal failure and pregnancy.

Result; high risk of heart attack or stroke.

Question 2

What is low blood pressure?

Answer 2

Hypertension.
Often temporary.

Caused by;
- haemorrhage (loss of whole blood)
- dehydration (loss of water through sweating, excessive caffeine, or alcohol)
- medical condition (diabetes, hormonal imbalance, Parkinson’s)

Question 3

Define systolic blood pressure.

Answer 3

Max. Pressure exerted in the arteries during systole of the heart.

Question 4

Define diastolic blood pressure.

Answer 4

Min. Pressure in the arteries during diastole of the heart.

Question 5

What are the impacts of faulty blood pressure?

Answer 5

Organ damage and alters blood flow dynamic.

Question 6

What are the interpretations from a ECG?

Answer 6

It tracks electrical activity and identifies cardiac phase.

Question 7

What does the P wave stand for?

Answer 7

Impulses from SA node across atria. (Atrial depolarisation).

Question 8

What does the QRS complex stand for?

Answer 8

The spread of impulse from AV node through AV bundle and purkinje fibres. (Ventricular depolarisation).

Question 9

What does the T wave stand for?

Answer 9

The relaxation of ventricles. (Ventricular repolarisation).

Question 10

What is thrombosis and its risks?

Answer 10

Formation of blood clot (thrombus) in a blood vessel. It interrupts blood supply to tissue.

Risks;
- slow blood flow
- damage to vessel
- increase blood coagulation

Question 11

What is embolism and its materials?

Answer 11

The blocking of a blood vessel by an embolus. Can lodge in narrow arteries causing a stroke and myocardial infarction.

Embolism materials;
- thrombus/fragment of thrombus
- tumour fragment
- fat from bone fracture
- air bubble from punctured vessel
- fragment of atheromatous plaque

Question 12

What is an infraction?

Answer 12

Tissue death. Occurs because of interrupted blood supply.

Question 13

What is an ischemia?

Answer 13

Impaired tissue function. Occurs because of hypoxia and the build up of cellular waste.

Question 14

Explain what a pulmonary embolism is?

Answer 14

Emboli in vein (venous embolism) travels to heart and lungs via pulmonary artery and lodges there.

Blockage causes reduction of blood flow to the lungs resulting in sudden collapse or death.

Question 15

What is atheroma?

Answer 15

Atheromatous plaque are changes that occur to the lining of arteries. Plaque grows into lumen.

Changes include;
- fatty streak
- accumulation of cholesterol and lipids
- excess smooth muscle and the fat filed foam cells

Commonly affected arteries are; heart, brain, kidneys, small intestines, and lower limbs.

Question 16

Explain what Arteriosclerosis is.

Answer 16

• Progressive degeneration of the arterial wall where they become infiltrated with fibrous tissue and calcium.
• This causes the artery to become dilated and less elastic.
• Loss of elasticity increases the systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure.
• Lumen becomes narrow and blood pressure increases, this can lead to ischemia of tissues supplied by the vessels.
• if the arteries supplying the brain are affected cerebral ischemia can result in progressive deterioration of high order functions.

Question 17

Explain what aneurysm is.

Answer 17

Abnormal dialations of arteries.
Rapture of aneurysms will result in a haemorrhage. Damages vessels endothelium making it difficult than usual and increases the risk of clot formation. Swelling will cause pressure for local structures like vessels, nerves, and organs.

• rapture in aorta is fatal
• bleeding into subarachnoid space causes death or disability
• bleeding in brain leads to symptoms similar to stroke

Question 18

What are the 3 types of aneurysms?

Answer 18

Saccular, fusiform, and dissecting.

Question 19

Describe saccular aneurysm.

Answer 19

• Bulges out of one side of the artery.
• Called berry aneurysm when in the brain.
• may be congenital or associated with defective collagen production or atheroma.

Question 20

Describe fusiform aneurysm.

Answer 20

• occurs in the abdominal aorta.
• associated with atheroma.

Question 21

Describe dissecting aneurysm.

Answer 21

• occurs mainly in the aorta.
• caused when blood is forced underneath the endothelium due to endothelium damage.

Question 22

Name 2 types of venous thrombosis.

Answer 22

Superficial thrombophlebitis and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Question 23

Describe superficial thrombophlebitis.

Answer 23

• when a thrombus forms in a superficial vein
• tissue around vein becomes inflamed, red, and painful
• causes; intravenous infusion and varicosities in the large vein in the leg (saphenous vein)

Question 24

Explain DVT.

Answer 24

• mainly affects the veins in the lower limbs
• carries risk of death if a large clot travels to lungs resulting in a pulmonary embolism

Question 25

Describe varicose veins (general).

Answer 25

Caused by blood pooling in the vein.

Soft walls are damage and the vein becomes inelastic, dilated, and coiled.
Valves cannot close properly, thus blood pools up.

Often in the legs, rectum, anus (haemorrhoids), scrotum and oesophagus.

Question 26

Describe varicose veins in the legs.

Answer 26

• blood in the leg is subjected to gravity so venous return can be sluggish, blood starts to accumulate.
• if valves don’t work the polling worsens and the veins become permanently dilated, twisted, and lengthened.
• superficial veins experience this more as there is less support from surrounding muscles.
• venous return is maintained because vein is connected to a network of deeper veins.

Question 27

Name a tumour of the blood vessels and lymph vessels.

Answer 27

Angiomas are benign tumours in blood (haemANGIOMAS) and lymph (lymphANGIOMAS) vessels.

Question 28

Explain Haemangiomas.

Answer 28

Excessive growth of blood vessels.

Question 29

What are the 4 types of cholesterol?

Answer 29

LDV (low density lipoprotein)
- bad cholesterol which makes up the majority
- too much can build up in blood vessel walls (plaque), leading to heart attack or stroke

VLDL (very low density lipoprotein)
- made in the liver then released into blood stream.
- VLDL particles mainly carry TG, similar to LDV.

HDV (high density lipoprotein)
- good cholesterol which is absorbed into the blood and is taken back to the liver to be flushed out.
- high levels can lower risk of heart attacks and strokes

TG (triglycerides)
- type of fat in the body used for energy
- when combined with high LDV/low HDV can lead to a heart attack or stroke