Clinical aspects of CV risk Flashcards
what is atherosclerosis?
a progressive disease that is characterised by a build-up of plaque within the arteries
how can plaque be formed?
- fatty substances
- cholesterol
- cellular waste
- calcium
- fibrin
what are the 2 ways that plaques can block blood flow through artery?
1) PARTIALLY BLOCK blood flow through an artery
1) TOTALLY BLOCK blood flow through an artery
what 2 things can happen to the plaque?
1) bleeding into the plaque
2) formation of a clot on the surface of the plaque
= blocking the artery
what 2 things can happen as a result from atherosclerosis?
1) heart attack
2) stroke
in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after endothelial damage?
- give examples.
= protective response results in production of cellular adhesion molecules such as cytokines (e.g. interleukin 1, TNF-alpha), chemokines (IL8) and growth factors.
in pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after the protective response resulting in production of cellular adhesion molecules?
= monocytes and T lymphocytes (inflammatory cells) attach to ‘sticky’ surfaces of endothelial cells
in pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after monocytes and T lymphocytes attach to sticky surfaces of endothelial cells?
= inflammatory cells migrate through arterial wall to sub-endothelial space
in pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after migrate through arterial wall to sub-endothelial space?
= monocytes differentiate into macrophages where they take up oxidised LDL-C
in pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after macrophages are up oxidised LDL-C?
= oxidised LDL promotes death of endothelial cells & inflammatory response causing
= LIPID RICH FOAM CELLS
n pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques, what happens after lipid rich foam cells?
= fatty streak & plaques
what is the primary event in atherosclerosis thought to be and what causes this primary event?
thought to be damage to the endothelium of arterial walls, causing endothelial dysfunction
Caused by;
- haemo-dynamic factors (shear stress causing by hypertension)
- vasoactive substances
- mediators (cytokines) from blood cells
- smoke
- bad diet
- elevated glucose levels
- oxidised LDL-C
what is athero-thrombosis?
= formation of acute thrombus (blood clot) in a vessel affected by atherosclerosis
how is athero-thrombosis initially initiated?
then what happens?
Initiated by;
= changes in vessel wall resulting from plaque disruption
= atheroscloritc plaques becomes unstable & rupture, exposing components like collagen…allowing platelets to adhere to the damaged area & initiate thrombus formation
what can a thrombus do?
= extend or occlude the vessel, causing acute ischema & tissue injury.
- fatal or non-fatal CV events e.g. stroke, MI, peripheral artery occlusion which could lead to ischemia
what are some MODIFIABLE risk factors of developing atherosclerotic plaques?
1) smoking
2) dyslipidaemia
- raised LDL cholesterol
- raised triglycerides
- low HDL cholesterol
3) raised blood pressure
4) diabetes mellitus
5) obesity
6) dietary factors
7) thrombogenic factors
8) lack of exercise
9) excessive alcohol consumption
10) deprivation
11) inactivity
what are NON-MODIFIABLE risk factors of developing atherosclerotic plaques?
1) age
2) gender
3) family history of coronary heart disease
4) person history of coronary heart disease
what are the 5 classifications of lipoproteins in order from lowest density to highest?
1) chylomicrons
2) VLDL (very low density lipoproteins)
3) IDL (intermediate density lipoproteins)
4) LDL (low density lipoproteins)
5) HDL (high density lipoproteins)
Yes or No.
Are chylomicrons associated with atherosclerosis?
- where are chylomicrons synthesised?
- what do they transport?
No.
Synthesised;
= in gut after a fatty meal
Transport;
= they transport dietary triglyceride from gut to sites of use & storage, & are cleared rapidly from bloodstream
Where are VLDL lipoproteins produced and what do they do?
Why are VLDL implicated in atherosclerosis?
Synthesised
= in the liver
Function;
= main carriers of endogenous triglycerides & cholesterol to sites for use or storage
Atherosclerosis;
= as VLDL are involved in the synthesis of LDL & HDL
when are IDL lipoproteins formed?
formed;
= formed during the breakdown of VLDL & chylomicrons
In comparison to VLDL, do IDL contain more or less triglyceride & cholesterol?
IDL = contain less triglyceride & more cholesterol than VLDL
Yes or No.
Are ILD lipoproteins involved in atherosclerosis?
Yes - they are involved.
what are LDL generated from?
Generated;
= from IDL in circulation
what lipoprotein is the principle lipoprotein involved in arteriosclerosis and why?
LDL
= because they are the main carriers of cholesterol