Heart Disease Flashcards
what is CHD?
coronary heart disease
what foods contain lipids?
food that is high in fat - butter + sausages
how can lipids damage arteries?
They lay down in the artery wall. The walls of the arteries become stiff. This is known as hardening of the arteries.
how can a blood clot cause a heart attack?
The blood clot gets stuck and blocks the blood vessel. This stops blood from reaching an area of cardiac muscle. The lack of oxygen will stop these muscle cells contracting properly. If the area of muscle affected is big enough the regular beating of the heart is interrupted - we call this a heart attack.
make a list of lifestyle factors that increase the risk of CHD
genetics, high cholesterol, high fat diet, lack of exercise, smoking and stress
how can exercise reduce the risk of CHD?
exercise improves the efficiency of the heart which reduces the risk of heart disease
why are smokers at more risk of heart disease?
Smoking damages the heart and blood vessels. The nicotine also makes your heart rate and blood pressure increase.
why does the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the oxygen in the blood?
When carbon monoxide is absorbed into the blood it combines rapidly with haemoglobin. This means there is less haemoglobin to carry oxygen.
explain why reducing the blood supply to the heart muscle cells can cause a heart attack.
Reduced blood supply to the heart means that their is a reduced oxygen supply. This means that the heart muscle is devoid of oxygen so the muscle is unable to respire aerobically so it respired anaerobically, producing lactic acid which causes parts of the heart to die - resulting in a heart attack.
