Pathology of CVD Flashcards
Atherosclerosis is
the build up of fatty material (cholesterol, calcium etc) to form an atheroma beneath the endothelium.
As an atheroma grows, the artery
thickens and loses its elasticity
When the diameter of the lumen is reduced, blood flow is restricted and this causes
increased blood pressure
Atherosclerosis if a cause of various CVD’s including
angina, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease.
Atheromas may rupture and damage the
endothelium
Clotting factors are released when the
endothelium is damaged
Clotting factors activate reactions which result in prothrombin being converted to
Thrombin
Thrombin converts
Fibrinogen to Fibrin
Fibrin threads can
form a meshwork to clot the blood
A blood clot is known as a
thrombus
The formation of a blood clot is known as
thrombosis
A thrombosis in a coronary artery may lead to a
heart attack
A thrombosis in an artery in the brain may lead to a
stroke
A blood clot can deprive cells of oxygen which can lead to
death of the tissues
If a thrombus breaks loose it forms an
embolus
Peripheral vascular disease is narrowing of the arteries due to atherosclerosis of arteries in
the legs (or other parts of the body that are NOT the heart or brain)
A DVT is a blood clot that forms in a
deep vein (usually in leg)
If a DVT moves to the lungs it is known as a
Pulmonary Embolism
Cholesterol is a type of lipid found in
cell membranes
As well as being in cell membranes, cholesterol is used to make
sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone)
Cholesterol levels can increase if a person has a diet high in
saturated fats
HDL transports excess cholesterol from the body cells to the
liver (for elimination)
LDL transports cholesterol to
body cells
If LDL deposits cholesterol in the arteries, it can lead to
the formation of atheromas
To reduce blood cholesterol, there should be a higher ratio of
HDL to LDL
Physical activity can raise
HDL levels
Changing the levels of fat in the diet (and replacing saturated with unsaturated fats) can lead to a
decrease in cholesterol levels
Drugs that reduce blood cholesterol are called
statins
Atherosclerosis can lead to
cardiovascular disease, stroke or peripheral vascular disease
Glucagon activates the conversion of
glycogen to glucose
Insulin activates the conversion of
glucose to glycogen
A Glucose Tolerance Test is used to
diagnose diabetes
Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in
childhood
Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in
adulthood
Obesity us a risk factor for
Cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes
Accurate measurement of body fat requires the measurement of
body density
Exercise can reduce CVD risk by….
controlling weight, minimising stress, reducing hypertension and improving HDL blood lipid profiles
