The effects of systemic disease on the cardiovascular system

Question 1

Learning objectives

Answer 1

• To appreciate how systemic conditions affect the cardiovascular system – for example
– Diabetes mellitus
– Hypertension
– Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – Amyloidosis
– Rheumatoid arthritis
– Vasculitides & SLE
– Thyroid disease
– Sarcoidosis
– Nutrition
– Drugs

Question 2

What is the dominant cause of mortality in diabetic patients

Answer 2

The dominant cause of mortality in diabetic patients is cardiovascular complications. Mechanism for the susceptibility of diabetic patients to cardiovascular disorders remains unclear.
Elevated oxidative stress was detected in diabetic patients or in animal models.
Diabetes-associated metabolic disorders, including hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypoalphalipoproteinemia, and increased levels of advanced glycation end products, glycated and oxidized lipoproteins, are associated with oxidative stress..

Question 3

What are familial hyperlipidaemias

Answer 3

A genetic disorder. It is caused by a defect on chromosome 19. The defect makes the body unable to remove low density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad) cholesterol from the blood

Question 4

What is Amyloidosis

Answer 4

Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue

Question 5

What are the complications of rheumatoid arthritis & vasculitides & SLE

Answer 5

Pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, rheumatoid nodules, vasculitis, arrhythmia, atherosclerosis

Question 6

Discuss heart failure and thyroid dysfunction

Answer 6

ABSTRACT CONTEXT:
• Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe and in the United States .The aim of this review article was to assess the results of the prospective studies that evaluated the risk of heart failure in patients with overt and subclinical thyroid disease and to discuss the mechanism of this dysfunction.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS:
• The outcome of this analysis suggests that patients with overt and subclinical thyroid dysfunction are at increased risk of heart failure. In particular, this risk is increased in elderly patients with subclinical thyroid disease and serum TSH <0.1mU/L or >10 mU/L .
CONCLUSIONS:
• The timely recognition and effective treatment of cardiac symptoms in patients with thyroid dysfunction is mandatory because the prognosis of HF may be improved with the appropriate treatment of thyroid dysfunction.

Question 7

Discuss sarcoidosis

Answer 7

Sarcoidosis is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata