CVD: Risk Factors and Treatment Flashcards
What is cardiovascular disease - CVD?
All diseases of the heart and circulatory system
Give examples of CVD. 3
- Coronary heart disease [CHD]
- Stroke
- Heart attack/myocardial infarction
List risk factors for CVD that are due to lifestyle (6)
- Smoking
- Salt intake
- Alcohol intake
- Diet high in saturated fat
- Inactivity
- BMI/Weight
List risk factors for CVD beyond the individual’s control
- Genetics
- Age
- Gender
What is the trend between BMI/Weight and CVD?
- The higher the BMI/weight, the higher the risk of CVD
Why is a diet high in cholesterol/saturated fat a risk factor for CVD? 4
- Increases cholesterol level in blood
- Increases atheroma formation
- Increases blood pressure
- Increases blood clot formation
How is alcohol and salt intake a risk factor for CVD?
They increase high blood pressure
How is inactivity a risk factor for CVD?
Linked to obesity and high blood pressure
What 2 substances in smoking increase the risk of CVD?
- Carbon monoxide
- Nicotine
How does carbon monoxide in smoking increase the risk of CVD? 4
- Combines with haemoglobin
- Decreases oxygen transported in blood
- Less oxygen for tissues
- Can lead to heart attacks/stroke
How does nicotine increase the risk of CVD?
- Makes platelets sticky
- Increases chance of blood clot formation
Other than nicotine and carbon monoxide, how does smoking increase the risk of CVD? 4
- Decreases antioxidants in the blood
- These protect cells from damage
- Increased risk of cell damage in arteries
- Increased atheroma formation
How is aging a risk factor for CVD? 3
- Arteries less elastic
- Plaque builds up slowly over time
- Increases blood pressure
How is gender a risk factor for CVD? 2
- Males more likely to suffer from CVD
- Oestrogen increases HDL levels in blood
How are genetics a risk factor for CVD?
- Individuals can inherit alleles making them more likely to have:
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
Define “risk”
The chance of an unfavorable event occurring
What are the problems with perception of risk? 2
- Perception of risk is not equal to actual risk
- Actual risk can be overestimated or underestimated
How can actual risk be underestimated?
Lack of information makes people unaware of risk factors
How can actual risk be overestimated?
- Constant exposure to media emphasising risk
- Personal experience e.g family relative smoker dying of CVD
What 4 types of drugs can be used to treat CVD?
- Antihypertensives
- Statins
- Anticoagulants
- Platelet inhibitors
What do all antihypertensives do?
Reduce blood pressure
Why does reducing blood pressure reduce risk of CVD?
- Less damage to artery wall
- Less atheroma formation
- Less chance of blood clot formation
Name 4 types of antihypertensives
- Beta blockers
- Vasodilators
- Diuretics
- ACE Inhibitors
- Calcium channel blockers
What do beta blockers do? 2
- Reduce heart beat strength - Reduce heart rate
What do vasodilators do?
- Widen blood vessels [vasodilation]
What do diuretics do? 3
- Reduces amount of salt reabsorbed from blood by kidneys
- Less water reabsorbed
- Reduced blood volume
What do calcium channel blockers do? 4
- Blocking calcium ion channels
- Prevent arterial muscle contraction
- Prevents vasoconstriction
- Lowers blood pressure
What is the advantage to using antihypertensives? 2
- Many different types - can be given in combination to reduce blood pressure
- Blood pressure can be monitored by patients at home to check if drugs work
What are the risks of using antihypertensives?
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Blood pressure could fall too low - cause fainting
- Palpitations
What do statins do?
Lower blood cholesterol
How do statins lower blood cholesterol?
- Inhibit LDL synthesis in liver
- Less atheroma formation
What are the risks of using statins?
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Liver damage
- Muscle inflammation/pain
What do anticoagulants do? 2
- Prevent blood clots forming
- Prevent blood clots getting bigger
What is the advantage of using anticoagulants?
Can be used to treat people already with blood clots/CVD
What are the risks of using anticoagulants? 5
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Excessive bleeding in injury due to reduction in blood clotting, causing fainting
- Osteoporosis
- Damage to foetus
What do platelet inhibitors do? 2
- Prevent platelets becoming activated/sticky
- So prevents formation of blood clots
What is the advantage of using platelet inhibitors?
Can be used to treat people already with blood clots/CVD
What are the risks of using platelet inhibitors?
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Excessive bleeding in injury due to reduction in blood clotting, causing fainting
- Liver damage
Why do humans need energy? 3
- Growth
- Reproduction
- Movement
Define “energy budget”
Amount of energy taken in and amount of energy used up by an organism
What does an imbalance in the energy budget affect?
Weight
Give the equation for calculating an energy deficit
Total energy consumed - total energy output
If total energy consumed - total energy output is negative, what does this mean?
Weight loss
If total energy consumed - total energy output is positive, what does this mean?
Weight gain
If total energy consumed - total energy output is zero, what does this mean?
No weight change
What causes obesity? 2
- Excess energy is stored as fat reserves
- If this is a high amount and sustained over a long period of time, it leads to obesity
What causes being underweight? 3
- A deficiency in energy
- Causes fat reserves to be converted into energy
- If this is a high amount and sustained over a long period of time, it leads to being underweight
Give 2 obesity indicators
- BMI
- Waist to Hip Ratio
Give the equation for BMI
weight [kg]/height [m] squared
Give the equation for waist to hip ratio
waist circumference [cm]/hip circumference [cm]
What BMI is considered obese?
30 +
