The Basics

Question 1

What vessels are effected by atherosclerosis?

Answer 1

Elastic and muscular arteries

Question 2

What vessels are effected by hypertension?

Answer 2

Small muscular arteries and arterioles

Question 3

What makes up the intima layer of a vessel?

Answer 3

Endothelial cells

Internal elastic lamina

Question 4

What makes up the media layer of a vessel?

Answer 4

Smooth muscle cells

Elastin

Question 5

What makes up the adventitia layer of a vessel?

Answer 5

External elastic lamina

Loose connective tissue including nerve fibers and vasa vasorum

Question 6

What vessel type is the principle point of physiologic resistance to blood flow?

Answer 6

The arterioles which resist blood flow at an inverse proportional to the fourth power of the diameter of the vessel. In other words minor constriction or dilation of the vessel produced exponential effects on blood pressure.

Question 7

What body structures does the superior vena cava drain?

Answer 7

Arms
Upper trunk
Head
Neck

Question 8

What body structures does the inferior vena cava drain?

Answer 8

Abdominal viscera
Lower trunk
Legs

Question 9

How is cardiac output calculated?

Answer 9

CO= HR X SV
CO= the volume of blood ejected from each ventricle during 1 minute

SV= volume of blood ejected with each heart beat

Question 10

What is preload?

Answer 10

The load that stretches the cardiac muscle before contraction.

Question 11

What are physiologic increases of preload?

Answer 11

Inspiration

Exercise

Question 12

What are physiologic decreases of preload?

Answer 12

Exhalation
Decreased left ventricular output
Capillary bed/ venous system blood pooling

Question 13

What are pathologic effects of preload?

Answer 13

Volume overload

Question 14

What is myocardial contractility?

Answer 14

The ability of the cardiac muscle, when given a load, to shorten its muscle fibers

Question 15

What is afterload?

Answer 15

The degree of vascular resistance to ventricular contraction.

Question 16

What are the two known mechanisms of vascular disease?

Answer 16

Stenosis or obstruction of vessel lumina

Weakening of the vessel walls, leading to dilation or rupture.

Question 17

What is endothelial activation?

Answer 17

Endothelial cells respond to various stimuli by adjusting their steady state functions and by expressing newly acquired (inducible) properties.

Question 18

What does C Reactive Protein (CRP) measure?

Answer 18

One of the most sensitive markers for inflammation. CRP increases by a number of inflammatory mediators, particularly IL6.

Question 19

How can you lower your CRP?

Answer 19

Smoking cessation
Wt Loss
Exercise
Statin therapy

Question 20

What is endothelial dysfunction?

Answer 20

An alternation in endothelial phenotype often both proinflammatory and prothrombogenic. Structure and function changes the cell and thus attracts attention from the immune system. Leads to low grade chronic inflammation the perpetuates itself.

Question 21

How are endothelial cells involved in atherosclerosis?

Answer 21

They can be proinflammatroy and prothrobogenic and is partially responsible for the initiation of thrombus formation and atherosclerosis.

Question 22

How are smooth muscle cells involved with atherosclerosis?

Answer 22

They can have the capacity to proliferate when stimulated and can synthesize collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans which call can elaborate growth factors and cytokines.

Question 23

How are the tunica media smooth muscle cells similar to fibroblasts?

Answer 23

Smooth muscle cells and their precursors can migrate into the tunica intima and synthesize extracellular matrix in the same way fibroblasts fill in a wound.