U2: 15- Pathology Of Cardiovascular Disease

Question 1

What is atherosclerosis?

Answer 1

The formation of plaques, called atheromas, under the endothelium of an artery

Question 2

Atherosclerosis is characterised by the formation of plaques, what are these plaques called?

Answer 2

Atheromas

Question 3

What are atheromas composed of?

Answer 3

Fatty material like cholesterol and calcium

Question 4

What do the presence of atheromas do to the size of the lumen in blood vessels?

Answer 4

Reduces their diameter

Question 5

What do atheromas do to blood pressure?

Answer 5

Increase blood pressure

Question 6

What to atheromas do to the walls of arteries?

Answer 6

They cause the loss of elasticity and cause them to become hardened

Question 7

What can the condition atherosclerosis lead to later in life?

Answer 7

Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, strokes and heart attacks

Question 8

What name is given to the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that provide the cardiac muscle with oxygenated blood?

Answer 8

Coronary arteries

Question 9

If the coronary arteries get blocked it can sometimes cause a crushing pain in the centre of the chest, what is this condition called?

Answer 9

Angina

Question 10

Angina is often the warning sign that you could suffer what event later in life?

Answer 10

Heart attack (myocardial infarction)

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

Active enzyme called thrombin

Question 12

The enzyme thrombin converts the soluble plasma protein fibrinogen into what?

Answer 12

Insoluble fibrin

Question 13

What gathers at a framework of fibrin threads?

Answer 13

Platelets forming a blood clot

Question 14

What name is given to the lining of the artery?

Answer 14

Endothelium

Question 15

What do atheromas do to the endothelium of the artery?

Answer 15

Burst through it and damages it

Question 16

What is the name of the blood clotting process?

Answer 16

Thrombosis

Question 17

What is the other name for a blood clot formed in thrombosis?

Answer 17

Thrombus

Question 18

The thrombus has a risk of breaking free and becoming loose, what is it known as now?

Answer 18

Embolus

Question 19

If an embolus travels to the heart and blocks an artery in the heart, what can this result in?

Answer 19

Heart attack

Question 20

If an embolus travels to the brain and blocks the brain arteries, what can this result in?

Answer 20

Stroke

Question 21

What name is given to the arteries other than the carotid artery, coronary artery and aorta?

Answer 21

Peripheral arteries

Question 22

What can a blockage of the peripheral arteries by the atheromas from atherosclerosis lead to?

Answer 22

Peripheral vascular disease

Question 23

What part of the body does peripheral vascular disease commonly affect?

Answer 23

The leg muscles and pain is felt because they are starved of oxygen

Question 24

What name is given to the formation of a blood clot in a vein?

Answer 24

Deep vein thrombosis

Question 25

If an embolus blocks a blood vessel in the lungs what can it cause?

Answer 25

A pulmonary embolism

Question 26

What is cholesterol used to make in the body?

Answer 26

* the sex hormones | * a component of cell membranes

Question 27

What is cholesterol synthesised from?

Answer 27

Saturated fats

Question 28

Where is cholesterol made?

Answer 28

In all cells but 25% of it is produced in the liver

Question 29

What are lipoproteins made from?

Answer 29

Lipid and protein

Question 30

Lipoproteins are found in the blood plasma but where are they made?

Answer 30

Liver

Question 31

What is the job of lipoproteins?

Answer 31

To transport cholesterol

Question 32

What are the two types of lipoprotein?

Answer 32

* low density lipoprotein (LDL) | * high density lipoprotein (HDL)

Question 33

Which type of lipoprotein transports cholesterol from the liver towards the body cells?

Answer 33

LDL

Question 34

What receptors are made on the surface of cells in order to be able to take cholesterol into the cells?

Answer 34

LDL receptors

Question 35

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?

Answer 35

New LDL receptors stop being made

Question 36

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?

Answer 36

It gathers in the blood stream and is taken up by the endothelium of an artery

Question 37

What happens to the cholesterol that ends up in the endothelium?

Answer 37

It causes the formation of atheromas

Question 38

What would increase the chances of a person depositing cholesterol in atheromas under the endothelium?

Answer 38

If they eat a diet rich in saturated fats throughout their life

Question 39

What do HDL do?

Answer 39

Transport cholesterol from body cells to the liver for elimination

Question 40

Are HDL carrying cholesterol taken into the endothelium to contribute to atheromas?

Answer 40

No

Question 41

What two factors can result in raised HDL levels?

Answer 41

* diet with more unsaturated fat than saturated fat | * exercise

Question 42

Name the drugs involved in stopping the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver?

Answer 42

Statins