Chapter 10 - Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
Angina pectoris
Chest pain associated with coronary heart disease.
Angioplasty
A procedure in which a ballon-tipped catheter is inserted, then inflated, to widen the inner lumen of the artery.
Arrhythmias
Irregular heart rhythms.
Atherosclerosis
Fatty/cholesterol deposits in the walls of the arteries leading to formation of plaque.
Blood lipids (fat)
Cholesterol and triglycerides.
Blood pressure
A measure of the force exerted against the walls of the vessels by the blood flowing through them.
C-reactive protein (CRP)
A protein whose blood levels increase with inflammation, at times hidden deep in the body; elevation of this protein is an indicator of potential cardiovascular events.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
The array of conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels.
Catecholamines
“Fight-or-flight” hormones, including epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Cholesterol
A waxy substance, technically a steroid alcohol, found only in animal fats and oil; used in making cell membranes, as a building block for some hormones, in the fatty sheath around nerve fibers, and other necessary substances.
Chylomicrons
Triglyceride-transporting molecules.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
Condition in which the arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients are narrowed by fatty deposits, such as cholesterol and triglycerides.
Diabetes mellitus
A disease in which the body doesn’t produce or utilize insulin properly.
Diastolic blood pressure
Pressure exerted by blood against walls of arteries during relaxation phase (diastole) of the heart; lower of the two numbers in blood pressure readings.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
A recording of the electrical activity of the heart.
Glucose intolerance
A condition characterized by slightly elevated blood glucose levels.
High-density lipoproteins (HDLs)
Cholesterol-transporting molecules in the blood (“good” cholesterol) that help clear cholesterol from the blood.
Homocysteine
An amino acid that, when allowed to accumulate in the blood, may lead to plaque formation and blockage of arteries.
Hypertension
Chronically elevated blood pressure.
Hypotension
Low blood pressure.
Insulin
A hormone secreted by the pancreas; essential for proper metabolism of blood glucose (sugar) and maintenance of blood glucose level.
Insulin
Inability of the cells to respond appropriately to insulin.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs)
Cholesterol-transporting molecules in the blood (“bad” cholesterol) that tend to increase blood cholesterol.
Metabolic syndrome
An array of metabolic abnormalities that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis triggered by insulin resistance. These conditions include low HDL-cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and an increased blood-clotting mechanism.
Myocardial infarction
Heart attack; damage to or death of an area of the heart muscle as a result of an obstructed artery to that area.
Myocardium
Heart muscle.
Peripheral vascular disease
Narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels.
Processed foods
A food which has been chemically altered from its natural state through additives such as flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, binders, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, fillers, and so on, or which has been manufactured through combination or methods.
Reverse cholesterol transport
A process in which HDL molecules attract cholesterol and carry it to the liver, where it is changed to bile and eventually excreted in the stool.
Risk factors
Lifestyle and genetic variables that may lead to disease.
Stress electrocardiogram
An exercise test during which the workload is increased gradually until the individual reaches maximal fatigue, with blood pressure and 12-lead electrocardiographic monitoring throughout the test.
Stroke
Condition in which a blood vessel that feeds the brain ruptures or is clogged, leading to blood flow disruption to the brain.
Systolic blood pressure
Pressure exerted by blood against walls arteries during forceful contraction (systole) of the heart; higher of the two numbers in blood pressure readings.
Triglycerides
Fats formed by glycerol and three fatty acids; also called free fatty acids.
Type 1 diabetes
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin; also know as juvenile diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), a condition in which insulin is not processed properly; also known as adult-onset diabetes.
Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs)
Triglyceride, cholesterol, and phospholipid-transporting molecules in the blood.
