Heart Disease

Question 1

What are cardiovascular diseases?

Answer 1

Disease of the heart and blood vessels

Question 2

What is atheroma?

Answer 2

Fatty deposits

Question 3

What happens in atheroma disease?

Answer 3

Fatty deposits (atheroma) build up on. the inside of arteries restricting blood flow

Question 4

Where do fatty deposits in an artery develop?

Answer 4

Where the endothelium has been damaged

Question 5

What is the response to fatty deposit building up in an artery?

Answer 5

This causes an inflammatory response

Question 6

What is atheroma made up of?

Answer 6

Cholesterol and white blood cells

Question 7

What are atheromatous plaques?

Answer 7

They are made up of cholesterol, white blood cells and also calcium causing it to harden.

Question 8

Where do atheromatous plaques form?

Answer 8

Within the wall of the artery under the endothelium

Question 9

What is hardening of the arteries caused by atheromas also known as?

Answer 9

Atherosclerosis

Question 10

What is thrombosis?

Answer 10

A blood clot which forms in the blood vessels.

Question 11

When does a thrombosis occur?

Answer 11

When an atheroma breaks through the wall of the endothelium and causes a rough surface than can cause a blood clot

Question 12

Explain what happens to cells when a thrombosis is formed

Answer 12

The blood can’t flow properly to tissues anymore

Cells do not receive oxygen or glucose to aerobically respire and release energy

The cells will therefore anaerobically respire which produces toxic lactic acid

The proteins in a cell denature and cells die

Question 13

What are the consequences of a thrombosis?

Answer 13

Dying of cells
Heart attack
Stroke

Question 14

Why do cells die when there is a blood clot

Answer 14

Cells cannot respire aerobically and have to respire anaerobically

The lactic acid formed will denature the proteins in the cell and cause the cell to die

Question 15

What is a myocardial infarction?

Answer 15

A heart attack

Question 16

What causes MI (myocardial infarction)?

Answer 16

When the coronary arteries around the heart are blocked the heart muscle in that area will not receive oxygenated blood

The heart muscle can thus not respire aerobically

Anaerobic respiration of the cells releases lactic acid which denatures proteins and the heart muscle cells die (not able to contract)

Question 17

When is an MI fatal?

Answer 17

If a large area of the heart is affected by the blockage of the coronary arteries

Question 18

What are the symptoms of an MI?

Answer 18

Chest pain
Pain in upper body
Shortness of breath
Sweating

Question 19

What is a stroke?

Answer 19

A blood clot that happens in the brain

Question 20

What happens in a stroke?

Answer 20

There is a blood clot in an artery in the brain

The brain cells do not
receive oxygenated blood anymore

The cells cannot aerobically respire and have to respire anaerobically forming lactic acid which denatures proteins

The brain cells die

Question 21

What is a deep vein thrombosis?

Answer 21

When a blood clot occurs in a leg vein

Question 22

What may cause a deep vein thrombosis?

Answer 22

Prolonged inactivity

Dehydration

Question 23

What is aneurysm?

Answer 23

Weak points in the artery walls which swell to form balloon likestructures

Question 24

Why does an aneurysm occur?

Answer 24

Forms when a thrombus (blood clot) has weakened the artery wall

Question 25

When an aneurysm bursts in the brain it is also known as?

Answer 25

A stroke

Question 26

What are the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease (CHD)?

Answer 26

Smoking
Obesity
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol
Diet (high saturated fat/high salt)
Men
Age