Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Flashcards
What is the biggest cause of death in men under 75 in the UK?
Coronary Heart Disease
What is the biggest cause of death in women under 75 in the UK?
Other cancers (20%) Coronary Heart Disease (16%)
What is this?
Atherosclerosis
What is atherosclerosis?
an arteriosclerosis characterized by atheromatous deposits in and fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries
Atheroscelrosis characterized by intimal lesions - atheroma (atheromatous plaques) - that protrude into vessel lumen
What is the process of atherosclerosis?
- Endoethelial damage
- Platelets stick to damaged tissue
- Endothelium proliferates
- Fibrous cap forms on top of endothelium
- Deposition of cholesterol
- Plaque enlarges, blocking artery
- fatty core, foam cells etc.
What is the structure of an atheromatous plaque?
- Raised lesion
- Soft lipid core
- White fibrous cap
What are the risk factors for atherosclerosis?
Age
Gender
Genetics
Hyperlipidaemia
Hypertension
Smoking
Diabetes Mellitus
What effect do RFs have on atherosclerosis?
- Risk factors have a MULTIPLICATIVE EFFECT
- 2 risk factors increase the risk fourfold
- 3 risk factors increase the risk sevenfold
Why is age bad?
Atherosclerosis progressive between 40->60 years incidence myocardial infarction (MI) X 5
Why is gender bad?
Premenopausal women protected (HRT no protection)
Postmenopausal risk increases (older ages greater than men)
Why are genetics bad?
Family history most significant independent risk factor
Some mendelian disorders (eg Familial Hypercholesterolaemia)
Most multifactorial (genetic polymorphisms -> clustered risk factors HT, DM)
What is the implication of hyperlipidaemia?
•Hyperlipidaemia (Hypercholesterolaemia)
LDL – bad HDL – good
Diet rich in cholesterol/saturated fat – bad
Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase rate limiting enzyme in liver cholesterol synthesis - good
Why is HTN bad?
Systolic & Diastolic important
Ht alone increases risk of IHD by 60%
Why is smoking bad?
Definite risk in men, probable in women
Prolonged smoking doubles death rate from IHD
Stopping reduces risk considerably
Why is diabetes bad?
Induces hypercholestrolaemia
Increases risk of atherosclerosis
2 x risk IHD in DM if all other factors equal
- 20% cardiovascular events occur in absence of Ht, Hyperlipidaemia,smoking, Dm
- 75% events in healthy women occur with LDL below risk level
- Other risk factors must be involved
- 20% cardiovascular events occur in absence of Ht, Hyperlipidaemia,smoking, Dm
- 75% events in healthy women occur with LDL below risk level
- Other risk factors must be involved
What is the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis?
Chronic inflammatory and healing response of arterial wall to endothelial injury
- Endothelial injury
- Lipoprotien accumulation (LDL)
- Monocyte adhesion to endothelium
- Monocyte migration into intima -> macrophages & foam cells
- Platelet adhesion
- Factor release
- Smooth muscle cell recruitment
- Lipid accumulation -> extra & intracellular, macrophages & smooth muscle cells
What is endothelial injury?
- Early atheroma arises in intact endothelium
- Endothelial dysfunction important – increase permeability, gene expression & adhesion
- Haemodynamic disturbance -> dysfunction
- Hypercholesterolaemia -> dysfunction
- Inflammation -> vicious circle
What is smooth muscle proliferation?
- Intimal smooth muscle proliferation
- Some from circulating precursors – (have synthetic & proliferative phenotype)
- ECM matrix deposition
- Fatty streak -> mature atheroma & growth
- PDGF, FGF, TGF-alpha implicated
- Herpes, CMV, Chlamydia pneumonia
- No conclusive evidence
- Herpes, CMV, Chlamydia pneumonia
- No conclusive evidence
What is fatty streak?
- Earliest lesion
- Lipid filled foamy macrophages
- No flow disturbance
- In virtually all children >10yrs
- Relationship to plaques uncertain
- Same sites as plaques
What is atherosclerotic plaque?
- Patchy – local flow disturbances
- Only involve portion of wall
- Rarely circumferential
- Appear eccentric
- Composed of – cells, lipid, matrix
Why is atherosclerotic plaque bad?
- Obstruct
- Rupture
What is stenosis?
Critical stenosis – demand > supply
Occurs at ~70% occlusion
(or diameter <1mm)
Causes “stable” angina
Can lead to Chronic Ischaemic Heart Disease
Acute plaque rupture can occur
What is acute plaque change?
Rupture – exposes prothrombogenic plaque contents
Erosion - exposes prothrombogenic subendothelial basement membrane
Haemorrhage into plaque – increase size
What are the consequences of atheroma?
- Majority of plaques that show acute change show only mild to moderate luminal stenosis prior to acute change
- Therefore numerous “asymptomatic potential victims”
- Plaques dynamic