Unit 4- Cardiovascular Diseases

Question 1

What is an atheroma?

Answer 1

A plague or cholesterol blockage in the artery

Question 2

What is atherosclerosis?

Answer 2

When an atheroma becomes calcified and the walls of the artery become less elastic

Question 3

What factors affect increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

Answer 3

Avoidable: smoking, diet, stress
Unavoidable: age, gender and other genetic factors

Question 4

What other health defects can atheroma lead to?

Answer 4

• aneurysm
• raised blood pressure
• angina
• heart attack
• stroke

Question 5

What are the stages that lead to atherosclerosis?

Answer 5

• build up of fatty deposits on inside of artery following endothelium damage
• these deposits harden into plaques called atheroma restricting blood flow
• artery becomes less elastic and weaker

Question 6

What is an aneurysm?

Answer 6

Increased pressure of blood caused by atherosclerosis can lead to the bursting of an artery and internal bleeding

Question 7

What are the health effects of raised blood pressure?

Answer 7

Damage to the kidneys and retina, may cause a stroke

Question 8

What is angina?

Answer 8

Narrowing of coronary arteries causing reduced blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain

Question 9

What is a heart attack?

Answer 9

When a coronary artery becomes totally blocked, usually by a clot and part of the heart is starved of oxygen and dies

Question 10

What is a stroke?

Answer 10

An interruption of the blood supply to the brain, which can cause paralysis or death

Question 11

Why are you more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases at an older age?

Answer 11

Blood vessels lose their elasticity over time and are likely to accumulate damage

Question 12

Why may diet affect the risk of cardiovascular diseases?

Answer 12

High levels of saturated fats increases the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases risk of atherosclerosis, also salt increases blood pressure

Question 13

What is the process of blood clotting?

Answer 13

• platelets are activated and form a plug when in contact with outer layer of blood vessels (collagen)
• the activated platelets release clotting factors, such as thromboplastin
• prothrombin in the plasma is converted into an enzyme called thrombin by thromboplastin and calcium
• thrombin then acts as a catalyst on the soluble protein fibrinogen producing insoluble fibrin which forms a mesh over the wound
• platelets and blood cells become trapped in the mesh forming a scab until the wound heals by mitosis

Question 14

What enzyme catalyses the formation of the insoluble protein fibrin?

Answer 14

Thrombin

Question 15

What enzyme catalyses the enzyme thrombin

Answer 15

Thromboplastin ( which combines prothrombin and calcium ions)