Pathology of Cardiovascular Disease Unit 2

Question 1

Atherosclerosis is characterised by the formation of plaques, what are there called ?

Answer 1

Atheromas

Question 2

What are atheromas composed of ?

Answer 2

Fatty material like cholesterol and calcium

Question 3

What do the presence of atheromas do to the size of lumen in blood vessels ?

Answer 3

Reduces their diameter

Question 4

What do atheromas do to blood pressure ?

Answer 4

Increase blood pressure

Question 5

What do atheromas do to the wall of arteries ?

Answer 5

They cause the loss of elasticity and cause them to become hardened

Question 6

What can the condition atherosclerosis lead to later in life ?

Answer 6

Cardiovascular disease such of coronary heart disease, strokes and heart attacks

Question 7

What name is given to the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that provides the cardiac muscle with oxygenated blood ?

Answer 7

Coronary arteries

Question 8

If the coronary arteries get blocked, it can sometimes cause a crushing pain in the centre of the chest, what is this condition called ?

Answer 8

Angina

Question 9

Angina is often the warning sign that you could suffer with what event in the future ?

Answer 9

Heart attack

Question 10

In blood clotting, clotting factors are released whenever the cells suffer damage to try and prevent blood loss at a wound. Clotting factors cause the inactive enzyme prothrombin to turn into what ?

Answer 10

Active enzyme called thrombin

Question 11

The enzyme thrombin converts the soluble plasma protein fibrinogen into what ?

Answer 11

Insoluble fibrin

Question 12

What gathers at a framework of fibrin threads ?

Answer 12

Platelets forming a blood clot

Question 13

What name is given to the lining of the artery ?

Answer 13

Endothelium

Question 14

What do atheromas do to the lining of the artery ?

Answer 14

Burst through it and damages it

Question 15

What is the name of the blood clotting process ?

Answer 15

Thrombosis

Question 16

What is the other name for a blood clot formed in the thrombosis ?

Answer 16

Thrombus

Question 17

The thrombus has a risk of breaking free and becoming loose, what is it known as now ?

Answer 17

Embolus

Question 18

If an embolus travels to the heart and blocks the artery in the heart, what can this result in ?

Answer 18

Heart attack

Question 19

If an embolus travels to the brain and blocks the brain arteries, what can this results in ?

Answer 19

Stroke

Question 20

What name is given to the arteries other than the carotid artery, coronary artery and aorta ?

Answer 20

Peripheral arteries

Question 21

What can a blockage of the peripheral arteries by the atheromas from atherosclerosis lead to ?

Answer 21

Peripheral vascular disease

Question 22

What part of the body does peripheral vascular disease commonly affect ?

Answer 22

The leg muscles and pain is felt because they are starved of oxygen

Question 23

What name is given to the formation of a blood clot in a vein ?

Answer 23

Deep vein thrombosis

Question 24

If an embolus blocks a blood vessel in the lungs what can it cause ?

Answer 24

A pulmonary embolism

Question 25

What is cholesterol used to make in the body ?

Answer 25

The sex hormones and a component of cells membranes

Question 26

What is cholesterol synthesised from ?

Answer 26

Saturated fats

Question 27

Where is cholesterol made ?

Answer 27

In all cells but 25% of it is produced in the liver

Question 28

What are lipoproteins made from ?

Answer 28

Lipid and protein

Question 29

Lipoproteins are found in the blood plasma but where are they made ?

Answer 29

Liver

Question 30

What is the job of lipoproteins ?

Answer 30

To transport cholesterol

Question 31

What are the two types of lipoprotein ?

Answer 31

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL)

Question 32

Which type of lipoprotein transports cholesterol from the liver towards the body cells ?

Answer 32

Low density lipoproteins

Question 33

What receptors are made on the surface of cells in order to be able to take cholesterol into the cells ?

Answer 33

LDL receptors

Question 34

When the LDL receptors bind with an LDL carrying cholesterol, they are able to deposit cholesterol in the cell. When the cell cannot take in any more, what happens to the receptors ?

Answer 34

New LDL receptors stop being made

Question 35

Where does the LDLs carrying cholesterol end up if they cannot enter a cell that is full up with cholesterol and doesn’t have any new LDL receptors on it ?

Answer 35

It gathers in the blood stream and is taken up by the endothelium of an artery

Question 36

What happens to the cholesterol that ends up in the endothelium ?

Answer 36

It causes the formation of atheromas

Question 37

What would increase the chances of a person depositing cholesterol in atheromas under the endothelium ?

Answer 37

If they eat a diet rich in saturated fats through their life

Question 38

What do HDL do ?

Answer 38

Transport cholesterol from body cells to the liver for elimination

Question 39

Are HDLs carrying cholesterol taken into the endothelium to contribute to atheromas ?

Answer 39

No

Question 40

What two factors can result in a raised HDL level ?

Answer 40

Eating a diet in unsaturated fats replacing some of the saturated fats and exercising

Question 41

Name the drugs involved in stopping the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver ?

Answer 41

Statins