OP 2: Chronic Diseases Flashcards
What’s is a chronic illness/disease?
Any illness/disease that lasts longer than 3 months. They cause about 70% of deaths in the US.
Comorbidity
The presence of more than one chronic illness/disease at the same time.
How does comorbidity increase health complications?
- Multiply chronic diseases will increase case complexity
- Cause adverse drug reactions
- Compounding symptoms can lead to poor compliance with treatment plans
- Patient is at higher risk of organ failure if comorbidities affect similar organs
Hypertension (HTN)
An increase of blood pressure within the arteries that creates damage to the artery walls over time.
Systolic vs Diastolic
Systolic - pressure within the arteries when heart is contracting
Diastolic - pressure within the arteries when the heart is relaxed (between heart beats)
Normal Hypertension BP
90/60 to 120/80
Hypotensive BP
Less than 90/60
Prehypertensive BP (borderline)
121/81 to 140/90
Hypertensive BP
Greater than 140/90 (either number)
What other chronic illnesses can hypertension lead to?
- Impaired Vision
- CVA (brain bleed)
- Renal Failure
- CAD/MI (heart attack)
- CHF (congestive heart failure)
What can you do to manage Hypertension?
- Low Sodium Diet
- Exercise
- Smoking & ETOH Cessation (vasoconstrictors that make blood vessels smaller)
- Keep a BP Log
- ACE Inhibitors (med name will end in ‘pril’)
- Ca Channel Blockers (amlodipine)
- Diuretics (Hydrochlorothiazide)
- ARBs (med name will end in ‘tan’)
Type 1 Diabetes
Pancreas does NOT produce insulin. Patient is insulin insufficient.
Type 2 Diabetes
Pancreas does not produce enough and/or cells have become resistant to the insulin produced by the body.
What other chronic illnesses can Diabetes lead to?
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Renal Failure
- Cardiac Disease
- Neuropathy
- PVD
What can you do to manage Diabetes?
- Low Carb Diet
- Exercise
- Weight Loss
- Blood Glucose Log
- Insulin (Humalog, Lantus, Sliding Scale)
- Oral Medications (Metformin Glyburide)
Hyperlipidemia (HLD)
Elevated levels of lipid (cholesterol) buildup in the blood that causes plaque build-up along arterial walls causing them to narrow.
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
Bad cholesterol that deposits cholesterol floating in the blood onto the arterial walls.
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
Good cholesterol that removes arterial wall build up and recycles it back to the liver.
What other chronic illnesses can hyperlipidemia lead to?
- Pancreatitis
- Arterial Atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arterial walls)
- CVA (ischemic)
- CAD/MI (heart attack)
What can you do to manage Hyperlipidemia?
- Low Lipid Diet
- Decrease ETOH
- Weight Loss
- Exercise
- Close Follow-up (labs and testing)
- Statins (med names will end in ‘statin’)
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Narrowing of the coronary arteries that limits blood supply to the heart muscle causing ischemia.
What are the symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease?
- Chest Pain that becomes worse with exertion
- Chest Pressure that becomes worse with exertion
What other chronic illnesses can Coronary Artery Disease lead to?
CAD is the number 1 risk factor for MI (heart attack)
What can you do to manage Coronary Artery Disease?
- Manage risk factors (HTN, HLD, DM, etc)
- Exercise/Weight Loss
- Smoking Cessation
- Manage Stress
- Aspirin 81mg daily (Acetylsalicylic Acid)
- Nitroglycerin (NTG) ; (vasodilator)
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Angioplasty (a balloon is inserted then inflated to open area of blockage -> balloon comes out)
- Coronary Stent (same as Angioplasty, but a stent is left in place)
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) ; (open heart surgery conducted to bypass area of blockage using another artery from thigh)
