Chapter 13: Reducing your risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

Question 1

What is Hypertension?

Answer 1

Systolic blood pressure is the upper number in the fraction that measures blood pressure, indicating pressure in the walls of the arteries when the heart contracts
o Diastolic blood pressure indicates pressure in the walls of the arteries during the relaxation phase of heart activity

Question 2

What is Atherosclerosis (CAD-coronary artery disease)

Answer 2

o Arteriosclerosis

o Hyperlipidemia

Question 3

What is Peripheral artery disease (PAD)?

Answer 3

Atherosclerosis occurring in the lower extremities, such as in the feet, calves, legs, or in the arms

Question 4

What is Coronary heart disease?

Answer 4

o Greatest killer, causing nearly 1 in every 7 deaths in the U.S
o There are over 580,000 new coronary events and 210,000 reoccurrences each year
§ Brought on by a blood clot in a coronary artery or an atherosclerotic narrowing that blocks an artery
§ When blood does not flow readily, there is a decrease in corresponding oxygen flow

Question 5

What is Angina pectoris?

Answer 5

o Occurs when there is not enough oxygen to supply the heart muscle, resulting in chest pain or pressure
o Mild causes may be treated with rest
o Drugs can dilate veins and provide pain relief
o Calcium channel blockers can relieve cardiac spasms
o Beta-blockers control potential overactivity of the heart muscle

Question 6

What is Arrhythmias?

Answer 6

o An irregularity in the heart rhythm that occurs when the electrical impulses that coordinate heartbeats don’t work properly
o Tachycardia is an abnormally fast heartbeat
o Bradycardia is an abnormally slow heartbeat

Question 7

What is heart failure?

Answer 7

o Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or overworked and lacks the strength to keep blood circulating normally through the body, and blood and fluids back up into the lungs and other body tissues
o Fluid accumulation often occurs in the feet, ankles, and legs, and is accompanied by shortness of breath and tiredness

Question 8

What is a stroke?

Answer 8

o Seven million Americans suffer strokes every year; almost 133,000 people die each year from strokes
o Blood supply to the brain is interrupted
o Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are brief interruptions of the blood supply to the brain that cause temporary impairment
§ Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, temporary paralysis, or numbness in face or other regions, temporary memory loss, blurred vision, slurred speech, and others

Question 9

What are the components of the heart?

Answer 9

o Four chambers
§ Two upper chambers are called atria
§ Two lower chambers are called ventricles
o Valves regulate the flow of blood

Question 10

What is the function of the heart?

Answer 10

o Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium
o From the right atrium, blood travels to the right ventricle
o Blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where it receives oxygen
o Oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the left atrium of heart
o Blood from the left atrium moves into the left ventricle
o The left ventricle pumps blood through the aorta to all body parts.

Question 11

What are some modifiable risks?

Answer 11

1. Avoid tobacco
2. Reduce saturated fat from high-fat meats and dairy to 10% of the daily diet
3. Maintain a healthy weight
4. Eat a healthy diet: reduce sodium, increase fiber and plant sterols
5. Exercise regularly
6. Control diabetes
7. Control blood pressure
8. Manage stress and get more sleep

Question 12

What are some non modifiable risks?

Answer 12

1. Race and ethnicity
2. Heredity
3. Age
4. Gender

Question 13

Diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases.

Answer 13

Weapons for treating cardiovascular disease:
o Statin drugs
§ Chemicals that lower blood cholesterol levels
o Ace inhibitors
o Cause muscles surrounding the heart to contract, thereby lowering blood pressure
o Beta-blockers
o Reduce blood pressure by blocking the effects of epinephrine
o CPR

Question 14

Techniques:

Answer 14

1. Electrocardiogram (ECG)
2. Angiography
3. Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
4. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
5. Ultrafast computed tomography (CT) scan
6. Cardiac calcium score

Question 15

What is bypass surgery?

Answer 15

Coronary bypass surgery helps patients who suffer from coronary blockages or heart attacks
In bypass surgery, a blood vessel is taken from another site in the patient’s body and implanted to “bypass” blocked coronary arteries

Question 16

What is an angioplasty?

Answer 16

Angioplasty carries fewer risks and may be more effective in selected cases than bypass surgery

Question 17

What are stents?

Answer 17

Stents may be inserted to prop open an artery

Question 18

What is cancer?

Answer 18

Uncontrolled growth and abnormal cellular development results in a neoplasm
Benign tumors are harmless and consist of ordinary-looking cells enclosed in a fibrous shell or capsule that prevents them from spreading
Malignant tumors are not enclosed in a shell and can spread to other organs in a process called metastasis. Malignant cells disrupt RNA and DNA, producing mutant cells
Cancer staging
Cancers are typically staged based on the size of the tumor, how deeply it has penetrated, the number of lymph nodes that are affected, and the degree of metastasis

Question 19

What causes cancer?

Answer 19

1. Acquired (environmental) risks
2. Genetic and physiological risks
3. Reproductive and hormonal risks
4. Obesity and cancer risks
5. Inflammation and cancer risks
6. Occupational and cancer risks
7. Infectious diseases ans cancer.

Question 20

What are some Acquired (environmental) risks?

Answer 20

1. Tobacco use
2. Poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity
3. Stress and psychosocial risks
4. Inflammation, certain infectious agents, certain medical treatments
5. Drug and alcohol consumption
6. Excessive sun exposure and exposure to carcinogens
7. Reproductive and hormonal factors

Question 21

What are some Genetic and physiological risks?

Answer 21

1. Genetic predisposition
2. Oncogenes: cancer-causing genes that typically stay dormant but can be activated
3. Hereditary disposition

Question 22

What are some reproductive and hormonal risks?

Answer 22

1. reproductive factors on breast and cervical cancers are well documented.

Question 23

What are some obesity and cancer risks?

Answer 23

1. Obesity is a key component in 1 out of 5 cancer deaths
2. Numerous other studies support the link between various forms of cancer and obesity
3. The higher the BMI, the greater the cancer risk

Question 24

What are some inflammation and cancer risks?

Answer 24

An emerging theory is that inflammatory responses play a role in cancer development

Question 25

What are some occupational and environmental risks?

Answer 25

1. Exposure to asbestos, nickel, chromate, benzene, arsenic, and vinyl chloride
2. Exposure to radioactive substances
3. Radiation
4. Chemicals in foods

Question 26

What are some infectious diseases and cancer?

Answer 26

1. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can cause liver cancer
2. Human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer
3. Helicobacter Pylori and Stomach cancer

Question 27

What is Carcinomas cancer?

Answer 27

Epithelial tissues are the most common cancer sites

Question 28

What is Sarcomas cancer?

Answer 28

Sarcomas occur in the mesodermal or middle layers of tissues such as bones, muscles, and general connective tissues

Question 29

What is Lymphomas cancer?

Answer 29

Develop in the lymphatic system

Question 30

What is Lung Cancer?

Answer 30

Symptoms include a persistent cough, blood-streaked sputum, chest pain, and recurrent attacks of pneumonia or bronchitis
Treatment depends on the stage and includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
If the cancer is localized, surgery is the treatment of choice

Question 31

How to detect cancer?

Answer 31

• The earliest signs can be detected with mammograms, even before lumps are felt
• Regular self-examinations are key
• Symptoms include lumps, thickening, dimpling, skin irritation, distortion, nipple discharge, tenderness, etc.

Question 32

Treatments for breast cancer?

Answer 32

• Selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMs)
• Risk increases with age, includes family history of breast cancer, periods that began early and ended late in life, never having had children, and weight gain after age 18
• Regular exercise can help prevent breast cancer

Question 33

What is colon and rectal cancer?

Answer 33

1. Second most common cancer in men and women
2. Risk factors include older age, obesity, family history, and colitis
3. Warning signs include blood in the stool and rectal bleeding
4. Treatment consists of radiation, chemotherapy or surgery
5. Regular exercise, a diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains; limiting consumption of red and processed meats; maintaining a healthy weight; avoiding tobacco, and exercising moderation in alcohol consumption are key prevention strategies

Question 34

What is skin cancer?

Answer 34

1. The most common forms of skin cancer-basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are treatable
2. More lethal: malignant melanoma affect 87,000 annually
3. Treatment of skin cancer depends on the type of cancer, its stage, and its location
4. New advances in treating melanoma include: targeted therapies and newer surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy regimens

Question 35

What is Prostate cancer?

Answer 35

1. Most frequently diagnosed cancer in American males today, excluding skin cancer, and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in men after lung cancer
2. Symptoms include weak or interrupted urine flow; difficulty starting or stopping urination; urge to urinate frequently; blood in urine or pain in low back, pelvis, or thighs. Many men do not have symptoms in early stages
3. Risk factors include age, race, and family history
4. Eating more fruit and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and refrain from smoking may help lower risk

Question 36

What is ovarian cancer?

Answer 36

1. Most common symptoms is enlargement of the abdomen
   - Other symptoms include fatigue, pain during intercourse, unexplained weight loss, and changes in bowel or bladder habits.
2. Risk factors include family history, no children, and the use of fertility drugs
3. Prevention: focus on a healthy diet, sleep, stress management, weight control and regular exercise
   - Having an annual pelvic exam is also important

Question 37

What is cervical and endometrial (uterine) cancer?

Answer 37

1. Regular Pap tests are crucial for early detection

2. Risk: early onset of intercourse; having multiple partners, unprotected sex, infection with human papillomavirus

Question 38

What is testicular cancer?

Answer 38

1. Average age at diagnosis is 33, however, teens and middle-aged men are often affected
2. Cause is unknown
3. Men with undescended testicles appear to be at the greatest risk

Question 39

What is pancreatic cancer?

Answer 39

1. Even among those who are diagnosed at the earliest stages, the 5-year survival rate is only 29%
2. Tobacco use appears to be a key factor, along with obesity, consumption of high-levels of red meat, a high-fat diet and history of pancreatitis
   - Few early symptoms, and no reliable test in its early stages
   - By the time it is diagnosed, it is too far advanced to treat

Question 40

Ways to face cancer:

Answer 40

• the earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better prospect there is for survival
• practice self-exam and checkups
• several high-tech tools have been developed to help detect cancer
• MRI
• CT scan

Question 41

What are some cancer treatments?

Answer 41

1. Surgery to remove tumor
2. Stereotactic radiosurgery, also known as gamma knife surgery
3. Chemotherapy
4. Radiotherapy
5. Researching genes and cell mutations
6. Immunotherapy
7. Cancer-fighting vaccines
8. Stem cell research