U2: 15- Pathology Of Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
What is atherosclerosis?
The formation of plaques, called atheromas, under the endothelium of an artery
Atherosclerosis is characterised by the formation of plaques, what are these plaques called?
Atheromas
What are atheromas composed of?
Fatty material like cholesterol and calcium
What do the presence of atheromas do to the size of the lumen in blood vessels?
Reduces their diameter
What do atheromas do to blood pressure?
Increase blood pressure
What to atheromas do to the walls of arteries?
They cause the loss of elasticity and cause them to become hardened
What can the condition atherosclerosis lead to later in life?
Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, strokes and heart attacks
What name is given to the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that provide the cardiac muscle with oxygenated blood?
Coronary arteries
If the coronary arteries get blocked it can sometimes cause a crushing pain in the centre of the chest, what is this condition called?
Angina
Angina is often the warning sign that you could suffer what event later in life?
Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
In blood clotting, clotting factors are released whenever the cells suffer damage to try and prevent blood loss at a wound. Clotting factors cause the inactive enzyme prothrombin to turn into what?
Active enzyme called thrombin
The enzyme thrombin converts the soluble plasma protein fibrinogen into what?
Insoluble fibrin
What gathers at a framework of fibrin threads?
Platelets forming a blood clot
What name is given to the lining of the artery?
Endothelium
What do atheromas do to the endothelium of the artery?
Burst through it and damages it
What is the name of the blood clotting process?
Thrombosis
What is the other name for a blood clot formed in thrombosis?
Thrombus
The thrombus has a risk of breaking free and becoming loose, what is it known as now?
Embolus
If an embolus travels to the heart and blocks an artery in the heart, what can this result in?
Heart attack
If an embolus travels to the brain and blocks the brain arteries, what can this result in?
Stroke
What name is given to the arteries other than the carotid artery, coronary artery and aorta?
Peripheral arteries
What can a blockage of the peripheral arteries by the atheromas from atherosclerosis lead to?
Peripheral vascular disease
What part of the body does peripheral vascular disease commonly affect?
The leg muscles and pain is felt because they are starved of oxygen
What name is given to the formation of a blood clot in a vein?
Deep vein thrombosis
If an embolus blocks a blood vessel in the lungs what can it cause?
A pulmonary embolism
What is cholesterol used to make in the body?
- the sex hormones
* a component of cell membranes
What is cholesterol synthesised from?
Saturated fats
Where is cholesterol made?
In all cells but 25% of it is produced in the liver
What are lipoproteins made from?
Lipid and protein
Lipoproteins are found in the blood plasma but where are they made?
Liver
What is the job of lipoproteins?
To transport cholesterol
What are the two types of lipoprotein?
- low density lipoprotein (LDL)
* high density lipoprotein (HDL)
Which type of lipoprotein transports cholesterol from the liver towards the body cells?
LDL
What receptors are made on the surface of cells in order to be able to take cholesterol into the cells?
LDL receptors
When the LDL receptors bind with an LDL carrying cholesterol, they are able to deposit cholesterol in the cell. When the cell cannot take in any more, what happens to the receptors?
New LDL receptors stop being made
Where does the LDL carrying cholesterol end up if they cannot enter a cell that is full up with cholesterol and doesn’t have any new LDL receptors on it?
It gathers in the blood stream and is taken up by the endothelium of an artery
What happens to the cholesterol that ends up in the endothelium?
It causes the formation of atheromas
What would increase the chances of a person depositing cholesterol in atheromas under the endothelium?
If they eat a diet rich in saturated fats throughout their life
What do HDL do?
Transport cholesterol from body cells to the liver for elimination
Are HDL carrying cholesterol taken into the endothelium to contribute to atheromas?
No
What two factors can result in raised HDL levels?
- diet with more unsaturated fat than saturated fat
* exercise
Name the drugs involved in stopping the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver?
Statins
