Module 7 - 12

Question 1

Describe atherosclerosis

Answer 1

systemic disease affecting large and medium arteries. Characterized by formation of atheromas (fibrofatty plaques) which narrow (stenose) the lumen, resulting in reduction of blood flow (ischemia) and aubsequent damage or necrosis to the downstream organs

Question 2

What is the ‘response to injury hypothesis’?

Answer 2

A way of explaining the plaque development assoc with atherosclerosis. It’s thought that plaque development is a chronic inflammatory response resulting from injury to the endothelial lining of the artery.

Question 3

What are risk factors for atherosclerosis?

Answer 3

Big three- smoking, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol
Diabetes Mellitus
Age, gender, fam hx, ethnicity
Obesity, low SES, type A personality/stress, elevated blood homocysteine level

Question 4

What is a protective factor for atherosclerosis?

Answer 4

moderate alcohol consumption

Question 5

What is angina ?

Answer 5

chest pain result of myocardial ischemia (and reduction in blood flow result of coronary atherosclerosis)
crushing, tightness, heaviness

Question 6

How is MI diagnosed?

Answer 6

Clinical symptoms - pronlonged angina-like chest pain, often radiating to jaw or left arm, nausea, sweating
ECG- changes indicating heart muscle injury
Measurement of substances - elevated levels of cardiac enzymes and cardiac muscle creatine kinase

Question 7

what is primary hypertension?

Answer 7

essential or idiopathic
accounts for 90% of cases
prevalence increases with age

Question 8

What is secondary hypertension?

Answer 8

hypertension is secondary to another disease
almost all renal diseases can cause hypertension
endocrine diseases can cause eg. hyperthyroidism
“White-coat” hypertension