Pathology of Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
What is atherosclerosis?
The formation of plaques called atheroma beneath the endothelium in the wall of an artery
What is an atheroma composed of?
- cholesterol
-fibrous material
-calcium
what effect does atherosclerosis have on the blood vessel?
- a restriction of blood flow due to the narrowing of the lumen
- Increased blood pressure
- hardening of the arteries
What diseases are caused by atherosclerotic plaques?
- Coronary heart disease
- stroke
- myocardial infarction
- peripheral vascular disease
what is the function of blood clotting?
To prevent the loss of blood at a wound
What is a thrombus?
A blood clot
Explain how a thrombus is formed?
- When damage to cells occurs clotting factors are released
- This causes prothrombin to convert into its active form - thrombin
- Thrombin promotes conversion of soluble fibrinogen into insoluble threads of fibrin
- these fibrin threads provide a framework for platelets to attach to, forming a blood clot
What is an embolus?
A part of a thrombus which has broken loose and is circulating around the bloodstream until it becomes lodged in a blood vessel
Why can a thrombus cause stroke/heart attack?
The thrombus narrows the lumen of the blood vessels and can deprive the brain/heart of essential oxygen causing death of tissue.
What is peripheral vascular disease?
The narrowing of arteries in areas other than the heart and brain due to atherosclerosis
Where does peripheral vascular disease most commonly effect?
The legs
What symptom is associated with peripheral vascular disease?
Pain in the legs
What is a deep vein thrombosis?
a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg.
If a deep vein thrombosis breaks off, what can this lead to?
Pulmonary embolism
What is a pulmonary embolism
when a thrombus breaks off, travels back to the heart via the vena cava and enters the pulmonary artery where it becomes lodged in a small artery.
What can pulmonary embolism lead to?
collapse and sudden death if not treated.
Which compounds is cholesterol used to make in the body?
sex hormones - testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone
- components of the cell membrane
What is a lipoprotein?
- a molecule containing both lipid and protein
- they transport lipids from one part of the body to another
function of LDL?
transports cholesterol from the liver to the body cells.
Why is LDL considered the bad cholesterol?
- When the cells of the body have enough cholesterol, they remove their LDL receptors from the outside of the cell
- This means more LDL is left circulating in the bloodstream, where it can deposit its cholesterol into an atheroma.
What kind of foods are likely to increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood and therefore increase the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis?
Foods high in saturated fat
What is the function of HDL?
Carries cholesterol from the body cells to the liver where it is eliminated.
Why is HDL considered the good cholesterol?
- takes the cholesterol to the liver to be removed
- Does not deposit cholesterol into the arteries.
What ratio of HDL to LDL is considered healthy
High HDL:LDL ratio
What lifestyle changes can be made to increase the HDL levels in the body and therefore the HDL:LDL ratio?
- swapping out saturated fats for unsaturated fats, and the overall lowering of fat consumption
- Regular exercise
What medication can be given to reduce cholesterol levels and how does it do this?
- Statins
- inhibit an enzyme which is essential for cholesterol synthesis in the liver.
