Overview Flashcards
What is the definition of a disease?
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs the normal functioning of the body, not caused by external force or injury.
What are the two main types of diseases?
Communicable and non communicable
What is the study of disease called?
Pathology.
List some cellular processes that contribute to disease (7)
- Senescence
- Autophagy
- Inflammation
- Oxidant stress
- Fibrosis
- Oedema
- Hypertrophy
What is cellular senescence?
A special (stress-induced) form of durable cell-cycle arrest that serves to prevent cancer in mammals.
What defines cellular senescence (3)
- Durable cell cycle arrest
- Expression of anti-proliferative genes (e.g., p16)
- Activation of damage sensing signalling pathways (e.g., p38MAPK and NFκB)
What is the role of the DNA Damage Response (DDR)?
Triggers a response to DNA damage and activates the anti-oxidant protection system
True or False: Senescence increases with chronological age.
True
What is autophagy?
A major intracellular degradative process that delivers cytoplasmic materials to the lysosome for degradation.
Name one disease associated with defective regulation of autophagy.
Parkinson’s disease.
What is the impact of inflammation on chronic diseases?
Dysregulation involved in many chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.
What role do free radicals play in disease?
They contribute to cellular damage and are involved in many pathological conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
What is oxidant stress?
An imbalance that leads to damage of proteins and DNA, inhibiting normal cellular function.
What is the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway?
The principal protective response to oxidative and electrophilic stresses.
What does the increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) components lead to?
Increase of ECM stiffness and altered cellular function.
Define oedema.
Increase in extracellular fluid in the spaces between cells of the body.
What are the types of oedema (6)
- Localised
- Generalised
- Cerebral
- Pulmonary
- Lymphoedema
- Idiopathic
What is hypertrophy?
The increase in size of either cells or tissues.
How does diet influence disease susceptibility?
It affects the ability of the body to maintain an efficient immune system, recovery, repair, and protection from oxidant stress.
Fill in the blank: Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy weight and also in regulating many aspects of _______.
metabolism.
What are the types of heart failure (2)
- Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
What is coronary artery disease?
A condition that restricts blood supply to the heart muscle, causing hypoxia and angina.
What is the impact of aging on homeostasis?
Impairment of homeostasis and repair due to chronic effects of senescence, autophagy, inflammation, oxidant stress, fibrosis, oedema, and hypertrophy.
What happens to the heart after a myocardial infarction?
Fibrous scar tissue replaces the myocardium in the infarcted area.This replacement affects heart function and structure.
What does chronic inflammation in myocarditis lead to?
Damage to myocytes and increased formation of scar tissue within the myocardium.
What lifestyle change can help in heart disease prevention?
Quit smoking.
What is the effect of oedema immediately following a heart attack?
Increases stiffness, contributes to reduced function, and predicts worse outcome
Oedema is also present in some forms of heart failure.
What treatment can reduce oedema in heart failure?
Diuretics help manage fluid retention.
Name two dietary recommendations for heart health.
- Eating a healthy diet
- Controlling fluid intake
What class of medication lowers blood pressure by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme?
ACE Inhibitors
These medications help relax blood vessels.
What are ARBs in the context of heart failure treatment?
Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
They help lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart.
What is a new drug combination used for heart failure that includes a neprilysin inhibitor?
ARNIs
ARNIs combine a neprilysin inhibitor with an ARB.
What surgical option is available for advanced heart failure?
Heart transplantation
This is a critical option when other treatments fail.
What percentage of cancer deaths is attributed to metastasis?
90%
What are the determinants of cancer mortality?
Multifaceted dysfunction of multiple interconnected systems
Cancer affects not just the primary tumor site but multiple organ systems.
True or False: Metastatic cancer only affects the organs it spreads to.
False
Metastatic cancer can disrupt the function of multiple organ systems.
