Lifestyle Disorders; Circulatory Diseases Flashcards
Circulatory System: definition
- features of it
- what it transports to and from cells
Circulatory System: a fluid-filled network of tubes (or vessels) through which materials move between the environment and the cells of a multicellular animal
- connects all parts of an organism
- is a closed system
- Transports Oxygen and glucose needed by the cell and removes wastes (carbon dioxide and urea)
Major components of circulatory system
- Pump (heart) -> continously circulates blood
- Network of tubes (arteries and veins)
- Blood -> fluid that fills circulatory system
Renal vein and artery
Mesenteric veins
*what they connect to
- Renal: connects to kidneys
- Mesenteric: connects to intestine
Accessory organs of circulatory system
- Lungs: where O is taken up and CO2 released
- Kidneys: where wastes removed from blood; critical in regulating fluids in body
- Small intestines; digestion
- Large intestine; water absorption
What is blood pressure?
- force of blood against wall of arteries
- systolic: as heart beats
- Diastolic: as heart relaxes
*if blood pressure over 135 over 85, have hypertension
Hypertension - two classifications
- Essential hypertension: no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient’s condition (approx 95%)
- Secondary hypertension: high blood pressure is a result of another condition (such as kidney disease or tumours)
What is considered as high blood pressure?
- signs and symptoms
- what it increases chance of
- what it can result in
- consistent blood pressure of 140/90 or higher
- has few warning signs or symptoms (only routine checking can tell)
- it increases chance for heart disease, kidney disease, eye problems and for having a stroke
- can ultimately result in cardiovascular disease (includes variety of heart disease, stroke and related vascular diseases)
- CVD is one of major lifestyle diseases
- can ultimately result in cardiovascular disease (includes variety of heart disease, stroke and related vascular diseases)
HBP effect on Arteries
- Causes arteries to harden
- in turn causes the kidneys and heart to work harder
*this contributes to a number of problems
HBP effect on the brain
- Is most important risk factor for stroke
- can cause a break in a weakened blood vessel which then bleeds in the brain
HBP effect on the kidneys
- Kidneys act as filters to rid body of wastes
- HBP can narrow and thicken blood vessels
- wastes build up in blood which can result in kidney damage
*HBP reduces the effectiveness of kidneys
HBP on the eyes
- can eventually cause blood vessels to break and bleed into the eye
- may result in blurred vision or even blindness
Who can develop HBP
- Anyone, but more common in;
- Australian aboriginals/African Americans (they get it earlier and more often)
- slightly more prevalent in older men than women
- overweight people & those with a family history
What causes HBP?? (6)
- narrowing of arteries
- greater than normal volume of blood (due to dietary factors such as sodium)
- Heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should (through drugs)
- Another medical problem (obesity, sleep apnea, tumors, pregnancy)
- Extrinsic factors (age, sex, weight, race, mood, posture and physical activity)
- Lifestyle (i.e. smoking, alcohol, stress)
Role of stress in HBP
-Types of stress include workload, mental stress and socio-economic position
Preventing Hypertension
Adopting a healthy lifestyle by;
- Following a healthy eating pattern
- maintaining a healthy weight
- being physically active
- limiting alcohol
- quit smoking
- decreasing salt intake
Tips for having BP taken
- Don’t drink coffee/smoke 30 mins before
- have test late morning or afternoon (bp highest in morning)
- sit 5 mins before test
- go to bathroom before test (full bladder can affect results)
- get 2 readings taken
Other treatments from HBP
- Diurtics (work on kidney to remove excess water)
- Beta blockers (reduce impulses to the heart and blood vessels)
- nervous system inhibitors (slow nerve impulse to heart)
- vasodilators
- ace inhibitors (cause blood vessels to relax and blood to flow freely)
Atherosclerosis
-what is it
-is a progressive degenerative disease that lead to occulsion (gradual narrowing) of arteries due to fatty material build up, fibrious or atherosclerotic plaque and calcium deposition and scarring
Mild plaque formation
-what it is
- lipids accumulate
- attract macrophages, that in turn attract smooth muscle cells
- smooth muscle cells divide and enlarge to form “atheroma”
Stable plaque formation
- Plaque bulges into vessel lumen
- invasion of damaged area by fibroblasts forming scar tissue over the plaque
- further complicated by endothelial cell damage
Advanced stages of Atherosclerosis
- Calcium deposits w/in plaque (associated with hardening of arteries)
- exposed endothelium and collagen causes platelets to stick and clots to form = thrombus
- complete occlusion of evessel can occur and lead to heart attack or stroke
Complications of artherosclerosis (3)
- Thrombo-emboli formation: “sticking of BC to exposed/damaged cell wall - can enlarge untils occludes vessel or can dislodge which can travel and occludes a smaller vessel
- Angina pectoris: severe chest pain - tissue eventually dies due to decreased blood supply
- Myocardial infection: “heart attack” can be mild to severe
Outcomes of Heart attack
-management goals (3)
-1/3 = death
-majority of these occur before patient reaches hospital
-4% of those that survive die within first year
-pain = most common persisting complaint
-often accompanied by nausea, vomitting, anxiety and loss of consciousness
Management goals = pain control, administration of aspirin (thickens blood vessel walls) and early identification of patients who are candidates
Who’s at risk of heart attack
- Genetic predisposition
- Obesity
- Age
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Lack of exercise
- Excess cholestrol levels in the blood
Cholestrol
- Are good and bad cholesterol
- not water soluble - carried by lip-proteins
- Bad; low density lipoproteins
- less protein more lipid (cholesterol transported into the cell)
- Good: high density lipoproteins
- more protein less lipid
- cholesterol taken out of cell
