Drugs for Ischaemic Heart Disease Flashcards
How many mitochondria are in each cardiomyocyte?
5000
Generate ATP- far more than any other organ of the body
What is preload?
Volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole
What is preload determined by?
Blood volume
Venous tone, capacity of the venous circulation to hold blood (constriction= more return)
What is preload increased by?
Sympathetic NS activation
Renal failure
Heart failure
What is afterload?
Resistance the heart must overcome to circulate blood
What is afterload determined by?
Tone in arterial circulation
What is afterload increased by?
SNS activation
Hypertension
What causes narrowing of the coronary arteries?
Atheroma
Coronary artery spasm (smooth muscle spontaneously constrict)
leads to ischaemic heart disease
What do stable plaques lead to?
Lack of oxygen and chest pain (angina)
What leads to myocardial infarction?
Unstable plaque and thrombus
MINOCA= myocardial infarction non obstructed coronary artery
What does vascular endothelium regulate?
Blood vessel tone
Permeability
Leukocyte adhesion, platelet aggregation and tendency for thrombus formation
What occurs to lead to lesion formation?
Changes in endothelial function
Leukocyte adhesion and migration as endothelial permeability increases
What are the causes of endothelial dysfunction?
- Elevated and modified low density lipoprotein (in familial hypercholesterolaemia)
- Oxygen free radicals (smoking, hypertension, activated inflammatory cells)
- Infectious microorganisms (herpes virus, chlamydia pneumoniae, h. pylori)
- physical damage and gene activation by turbulent flow, high blood pressure
What are the risk factors for endothelial dysfunction?
Diabetes, ageing, male (females after menopause)
What are foam cells?
Macrophages that take up low density lipoprotein oxidised by interaction with oxygen free radicals
Describe the formation of a fatty streak
Inflammatory cell activation Smooth muscle migration Foam cell formation T cell activation Adherence and aggregation of platelets Adherence and entry of leukocytes
Describe the formation of advanced complex lesion
Macrophage accumulation
Formation of necrotic core
Fibrous cap formation- stability key to prognosis
Healing response to injury
What is the difference in outcome between unstable and stable angina?
Stable= chest pain Unstable= cap rupture or erosion= thrombus= heart attack/MI, stroke
Which drug lowers cholesterol and low density lipoprotein?
Statins
simvastatin
How is LDL formed?
HMG CoA into mevalonate via HMG CoA reductase (rate determining step in liver)
Mevalonate precursor for cholesterol, then LDL
binds to LDL receptors for clearance
What is the mechanism of statin drug action?
statins are inhibitors of HMG CoA reductase
Increase expression of LDL receptors (so more clearance)
What are the other effects of statins (pleiotropic)?
Improved endothelial function Inhibition of inflammation Plaque stabilisation Inhibition of thrombus formation (mevalonate compounds involved in intracellular signal transduction)