pathology of cardiovascular disease Flashcards
what is an atherosclerosis
an accumulation of fatty materials that forms an atheroma or plaque beneath the endothelium
what effect does an atheroscerosis have on arteries and blood pressure
the atery grows in thickeness and loses its elactisity and the diameter of the lumen reduces
name conditions that can be caused by atherosclerosis
root cause of various cardiovascular diseases eg angina, heart attack and stroke
what is a thrombus
a blood clot
describe the steps involved in forming a thrombus
when an atheroma ruptures damaging the endotheluim
the damage releases clotting factors that result in the enzyme prothrombin being converted to its active form thrombin
thrombin causes molecules of the plasma protein fibrinogen to form threads of fibrin
the fibrin threads form a meshwork that clots the blood
what happens when a thrombus breaks loose
forms an embolus which travels through the bloodstream until it blocks a blood vessel
name conditions a thrombus might cause
heart attack, stoke or death if tissue
what is peripheral vascular disease
the narrowing of the arteries due to the atheroscerosis of arteries other than those in the heart or the brain
what is cholesterol
a type of liquid found in the cell membrane
what is cholesterol used to make in the body
sex horomes
where is most of the bodied cholesterol made
all cells but 25% in the liver
what might cause someone to have high cholesterol
high saturated fat diet
what is the difference between LDL and HDL
HDL transports cholesterol from the body to the liver for elimination
LDL transports cholesterol to the body cells
how does negative feedback reduce the LDL level in the blood
LDL receptors take the LDL into the cell where it releases cholesterol. once a cell has enough cholesterol a negative feedback system inhibits the synthesis of new LDL receptors
how does LDL lead to atheroma forming
excess LDL in the blood may deposit cholesterol in the arteries
