Summaries Chapter 10: Blood vessels

Question 1

All vessels are lined by…

Answer 1

endothelium

Question 2

Blood pressure is determined by

a) vascular resistance
b) cardiac output

Answer 2

Both!

Question 3

How is vascular resistance regulated and influenced?

Answer 3

It is regulated at the level of arterioles, and influenced by neuronal and hormonal inupts

Question 4

How is cardiac output regulated and influenced?

Answer 4

It is regulated by heart rate and stroke volume (that is influenced by blood volume (that is regulated by renal sodium excretion/resorption))

Question 5

Hypertension is a major risk factor for several complications. What are some of these?

Answer 5

Atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure and renal failure

Question 6

True/false: hypertension is always primary (idiopathic)

Answer 6

False, though 95% of the cases are idiopathic.

Question 7

What are some secondary hypertension causes?

Answer 7

Primary renal disease, renal artery narrowing or adrenal disorders

Question 8

What is atherosclerosis? What is in it?

Answer 8

An intima-based lesion composed of a fibrous cap and an atheromatous (literally, “gruel-like”) core; the constituents of the plaque include SMCs (smooth muscle cells), ECM (extracellular matrix), inflammatory cells, lipids, and necrotic debris.

Question 9

What is atherogenesis driven by?

Answer 9

An interplay of vessel wall injury and inflammation

Question 10

What do the multiple risk factors for atherosclerosis all cause?

Answer 10

EC (endothelial cells) dysfunction and influence SMC recruitment and stimulation

Question 11

What are major modifiable risk factors for atherosclerosis?

Answer 11

Hypercholesterolelmia, hypertension, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus (DM)

Question 12

True/false: atherosclerotic plaques develop quickly

Answer 12

False, they develop and grow slowly over the decades.

Question 13

What symptoms do stable plaques produce?

Answer 13

Symptoms related to chronic ischemia, by narrowing vessels

Question 14

What do unstable plaques produce?

Answer 14

They can cause dramatic and potentially fatal ischemic complications related to acute plaque rupture, thrombosis or embolization

Question 15

How do a stable and unstable plaque differ, and how can they be identified?

Answer 15

Stable plaques tend to have a dense fibrous cap, minimal lipid accumulation, and little inflammation, whereas “vulnerable” unstable plaques have thin caps, large lipid cores, and relatively dense inflammatory infiltrates.