Ch 2- Flashcards
Atherosclerosis
Build up of fatty plaque on coronary blood vessels in the heart, decreasing flow of blood through vessels resulting in downstream symptoms
Primary funciton of circulatory system
bringing O2 and
nutrients to organs and transporting CO2
and other waste products for removal
Leading cause of death in canada
Heart Disease
Angina
Chest pain
Sometimes associated with actual pathology, sometimes not
Coronary artery disease
CAD
When major blood vessels that supply the heart struggle to send enough blood O2 and nutrients to theheart muscle
Myocardij
Middle and thickett layer of heat wall
Responsible for pumping action
Age related changes to the myocardium
Decreasing cardiac contractility
* More time is required for diastolic
filling and systolic emptying
* Less responsive to sympathetic
nervous system (fight or flight)
Electrophysiology decline of myocardium
Less pacemaker cells
* Irregularity in the shape of
pacemaker cells
* Increased deposits of fat,
collagen and elastic fibers around
SA node
Vasculature
Network of blood vessels
Age related physical changes to vasculature
Diameter of lumen of aorta
increases to compensate for
arterial stiffening
Veins, like arteries, become
thicker, more dilated, and
less elastic
* Increased vascular resistance
causes a slight increase in
the systolic BP
Other changes as a result of vasculature changes
Increased peripheral resistance affecting flow to vital organs
Due to peripheral resistance, left ventricle hypertrophy
Valves of large leg veins become less efficient at returning blood to the heart
Baroreflex mechanism
Receptors in aortic arch and caroitc artery
Physiologic process regulating BP
Baroreflex Mechanism-Age related changes
- Decreased compensatory responses in both hyper- and
hypotensive stimuli (ie heart rate does not increase or
decrease as efficiently in older adults as in younger
adults) - Baroreceptors in the large arteries (carotid and aorta)
less effective in controlling BP, especially during
postural changes
Consequences of Age-related changes
Decreased adaptive response to exercise
* Slightly lower hear rate
* Increased susceptibility to hyper AND hypotension
* Increased susceptibility to arrhythmias (ie. atrial fibrillation)
* Decreased cerebral blood flow
Ventricular fibrillation
An arrhythmia when lower heart chambers controcat in very rapid uncoordinated manner mean heart doesn’t pump blood to rest of body
Pathological Risk
Factors Affecting
Cardiovascular
Function
Arrhythmias
* Heart Failure
* Myocardial Infarction (MI)
* Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
* Venous Thromboembolism (DVT or PE)
* Stroke (aka CVA)
* Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
* Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
- Definition: disorder of the medium and
small arteries in which deposits of lipids and atherosclerotic plaques reduce or
obstruct blood flow
Atherosclerotic changes begin in childhood and progress to plaque formation
Lesions can rupture or remain stable
CVA
Cerebraovascular accident
A loss of blood flow to part of brain caused by clot/broken blood vessel damaging brain tissue
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Happens when one or more heart muscledont get enough O2 bc blood flow to heart is blocked
Physical inactivity
Definition: <30 mins of moderate physical activity 5x/
week or <20 mins of vigorous physical activity 3x/ week
Smoking in Second hand smoke in association with CV Disease
Both male and females smokers reduce their life expectancy by 13-15 years
Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke increase their risk for developing CAD by 25%-30%
Dietary Habits related to food
High intake of sturated fats increases risk for CV
Hypertension risk factors
- age
- ethnicity
- heredity - NUMBER 1 thing
- weight
- physical inactivity
- psychosocial stressors
- sleep apnea
- low education and socioeconomic factors
Metabolic syndrome
Group of clinically identifiable conditions that double risk of CV disease and increases the risk of Non insulin dependent Diabetes Melitus
Dyslipidemia
A broad term of lipoprotein metabolism
* HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) - good to have a
high number
* LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) - good to have a
low number
* Non-HDL cholesterol (total cholesterol – HDL
cholesterol) - good to have a low number
* Triglycerides - high reading is bad
Psychosocial Factors increasing risk for CV disease
Anxiety
Depression
Social Isolation
Specific personality Traits (Anger/hostility)
Major life events
Heritidy, gender, and race in relation to CV disease
CV disease causes more deaths in women in Canada than cancer, chronic lowerrespiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease and accidents combined
Research in cardiovascular issues in women are under researched
Orthostatic and postprandial hypotension
Age-related: Reduced baroreflex sensitivity
Orthostatic hypotension
a reduction in systolic BP and diastolic BP of at least
20 or 10mmHg respectively within 1-3 minutes of standing
after being recumbent for at least 5 minutes
Postprandial hypotension
reduction in systolic BP of 20mmHg or more
within 2 hours of eating a meal
Atypical SS of CVD
Fatigue
* Nausea
* Anxiety
* Headache
* Cough
* Visual change
* Shortness of breath
* Pain in arm, jaw, neck or throat (vs
“typical” chest or shoulder pain)
Nursing Assessment for CV function
Head to toe assessment
Determing baseline normal
BP, RR (function), HR (Function) etc.
Assess modifiable risk factors
Nursing interventions for CVD
Annual BP check
Screening for diseases that increase risk of heart disease
Reducing risks
Smoking cessation
Moderate physical activity
Maintain normal weight
Engage in stress management activities as needed
Eat heart-healthy food
