The Circulatory System Flashcards
What is cardiovascular disease?
A broad, umbrella term that encompasses a collection of diseases and conditions
What are the two main components of cardiovascular disease?
Diseases of the heart and diseases of the blood vessels
What are some examples of cardiovascular disease?
Aneurysms, heart attacks, varicose veins
What is atherosclerosis?
The gradual buildup of fatty deposits (mainly cholesterol)
What causes plaque?
Lipids that are deposited in the arteries
What does atherosclerosis progressively narrow?
The artery, decreasing the blood flow
When does atherosclerosis begin?
At an early age
What is arteriosclerosis?
The hardening of the wall of the arteries due to the plaque formation and calcification
What is stenosis?
The narrowing of arteries
What is the major cause of a thrombus?
A change in the wall of blood vessels such as the irregularity caused by arteriosclerosis
What is a thrombus?
A blood clot that has attached itself to the inner wall of an artery or vein
What occurs if one of the coronary arteries becomes completely blocked, and that part of the heart muscle dies?
Myocardial infarction
What is the major site of involvement with myocardial infarctions?
The left ventricle
What is myocarditis?
Inflammation of the myocardium
What is pericarditis?
Inflammation of the pericardium
What is cardiac dilation?
When the muscle fibers stretch, causing the heart to enlarge
What is cardiomegaly?
When the heart remains enlarged because of a disease process
What is dyspnea?
Shortness of breath
What is dextrocardia?
Occurs when the hearts displaced to the right side of the body (known as dextroposition)
What is cardiac heterotaxia?
If the heart is reversed so that it is a mirror image of a normal heart
What is situs inversus?
When all the organs of the body are reversed from normal and on the opposite side of the body
What is valvular disease?
When the valves of the heart are affected by some pathologic condition such as thickening or shrinking due to infection
What is an incompetent valve?
Valves that will not operate normally. The valve is normally formed but will not completely close the orifice, which allows retrograde blood flow
What is an insufficient valve?
One that will not operate properly because it is deformed