Chronic Diseases (EXAM C) Flashcards
What is osteoporosis?
- a condition in which bones become extremely thin and brittle, and break easily
- low bone mass and deterioration of bone structure
Is osteoporosis a natural part of aging?
- no, but there is an increased risk for women, especially if they are post-menopausal, and over age 65
What is osteoporosis often referred to as?
- the “silent disease”
Why is osteoporosis referred to as the silent disease?
- bone loss occurs without symptoms
- first sign may be a fracture due to weakened bones or a sudden strain or bump can break a bone
How can osteoporosis be diagnosed?
- DXA bone density scan
How much of Canadas total healthcare budget is spent annually to treat aging bone loss?
- 2.3 billion dollars
- 1.3% of total dollars
Which demographic experiences the highest rate of hip fractures?
- women who are 50 or older
- roughly $660 million dollars is spent on the demographic annually
A woman’s hip fracture risk equals her combined risk of what?
- breast, uterine and ovarian cancer
How many hospitalizations are there for hip fractures annually?
- 300 000
- recovery can take months or years
How many people with a hip fracture end up in a nursing home?
- 1/5 people end up in a nursing home within a year
Where are the most common breaks in weak bones?
- wrist
- spine
- hip
What are some risk factors or “red flags” associated with osteoporosis?
- smoking
- being underweight
- if a relative has osteoporosis
- if you have broken a bone after 50
- if you drink lot
How can you avoid or prevent osteoporosis?
- ensure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D
- be physically active daily
- avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
- talk to your doctor about bone health
- have a bone density test and take medication when appropriate
How much vitamin D do healthy adults under age 50 require?
- 200-1000 IU daily
How much vitamin D should you have in a day if you are at risk for osteoporosis or older than 50?
- 800-2000 IU daily
How much calcium do healthy adults under age 50 require?
- 400-1000mg
How much calcium should you have in a day if you are older than 50?
- 1200mg
What is cardiovascular disease? (CVD)
- the collective term for various diseases of the heart and blood vessels
How many Canadians are affected by CVD?
- nearly 120 000 Canadian
What is the most common life-threatening manifestation of CVD?
- heart attack and stroke
- claims one life every 7 minutes
- surpass cancer as the leading cause of death
What is the number one killer of Canadian women?
- heart attack
What are some major modifiable risk factors of cardio vascular disease?
- tobacco use
- hypertension
- high cholesterol
- physical inactivity
- obesity
- diabetes
What is hypertension?
- sustained abnormally high blood pressure
How many Canadians are living with hypertension?
- 5 million
- 40% of people don’t know
How does hypertension affect the body?
- increases CVD risk by 2-3x
- too much force is exerted against arterial walls
What is the systolic and diastolic number that indicates prehypertension?
- systolic: 120-139
- diastolic: 80-89
What is the systolic and diastolic number that indicates normal blood pressure?
- systolic: below 120
- diastolic: below 80
What is the systolic and diastolic number that indicates hypertension stage 1?
- systolic: 140-159
- diastolic: 90-99
What is the systolic and diastolic number that indicates hypertension stage 2?
- systolic: 160 and above
- diastolic: 100 and above
What does a hypertensive heart look like?
- thickening in walls of ventricles
- blood likely doesn’t flow easily through the ventricles
What causes high blood pressure?
- atherosclerosis (arteries become clogged and narrowed)
- scarred and/or hardened arteries, accelerates plaque build-up
- weakened and enlarged heart
What are some health risks associated with high blood pressure?
- silent killer, strains, weakens, and enlarges the heart
- damages vital organs
- increases the risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness
What are the two typed of hypertension?
- primary hypertension (genetics, environment, lifestyle)
- secondary hypertension (underlying illness)
What is cholesterol?
- cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance that circulates through the bloodstream
Why is cholesterols important?
- cell membranes
- sex hormones
- vitamin D
- fluid that coats the lungs
- protective sheaths around nerves
What happens when you have excessive cholesterol?
- excessive cholesterol clogs the arteries and increases the risk of CVD
What is Low–density lipoproteins (LDL)?
- bad cholesterol
- shuttle cholesterol from the liver to the organs and tissues
High-density lipoproteins (HDL)?
- good cholesterol
- shuttle unused cholesterol back to the liver for recycling
- if there is more than the body can use, it is deposited in the blood vessels.
Does being sedentary have effects on the body
- there’s lots but
- it increases your risk for cardiovascular disease
How does exercise lower the risk of cardio vascular disease?
- decreasing blood pressure and resting heart rate
- increasing HDL levels
- maintaining weight
- improving the condition of blood vessels
- helps prevent or control diabetes
What are some non-modifiable risk factors?
- Heredity (cholesterol levels, blood clotting and obesity)
- aging (over the age of 65)
- being male
What is the ratio of men affected to women affected by cardiovascular disease?
- more men than women die of heart disease and stroke
- 5(m) - 1(f) among 40-49 yr
- 1.2 - 1 among those aged 90 years and older
- inflammation and c-reactive protein
What is C-reactive protein?
- blood protein that responds to inflammation
- synthesized in liver
- individuals with elevated CRP levels are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension
What is angina?
- pain felt as an extreme tightness in the chest and heavy pressure behind the breastbone or in the shoulder, neck, arm, hand, or back
What is an arrhythmia?
- irregular heartbeat and sudden cardiac death
- if the electrical conduction system of the heart is disrupted, the heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or in an irregular fashion.
What causes a heart attack?
- occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries become blocked