unit 4: chap 7: cardiovascular health Flashcards
cardiovascular system
system that circulates blood through the body; consists of heart and blood vessels
how does blood travel through the heart
- o2 poor blood called venae cavae to the right atrium (RA)
- RA fills, it contracts and pumps blood into right ventricle (RV)
- RV fills and contracts and pumps blood through pulmonary artery into the lungs
- in lungs, blood picks up o2 and discard co2
- the cleaned, o2 blood flows from the lungs through the pulmonary veins into heart’s LA
- LA –> LV
- LV fills, pumps blood into the aorta and redistributes to rest of body’s blood vessels
systole
period of heart’s contraction
-artia contract –> blood in ventricles and when ventricles contract, blood is pumped to lungs and body
diastole
period of heart’s relaxation
-blood flows into the heart
blood pressure
-force exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels; created by the pumping action of the heart
how does the heart beat
through nerve impulses in RA called sinoatrial node at a steady rate
-unless it is sped up or slowed down by brain in response to stimuli (danger or tissues need for more o2)
vein
carry blood to heart
-thin walls
arterie
carry blood away from heart
-thick walls
capillaries
tiny vessels that deliver o2 rich blood to tissues and pick up o2 poor blood that empties into small veins and into larger veins that return it to the heart to repeat cycle
6 major risk factors for CVD
-tobacco use, high bp, unhealthy cholesterol lvls, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, and diabetes
tobacco
1/6 deaths from CVD attributable to smoking
smoking –> 48,000 deaths annually in canada, 11,000 cvd related
-dmgs lining of arteries
-reduces lvl of high density lipoproteins (HDL), good cholesterol
-raises low density lipoproteins (LDL) –> bad cholesterol
-nicotine increases BP and heart rate
-carbon monoxide displaces o2 in blood and reduces o2 available in body
-platlets stick together and causes blood clotting
-speeds the development of fatty deposits in arteries
-up to 30% increase of death from heart disease from environmental tobacco smoke
high bp
CVD risk when bp is above 120/80
-caused from increased output of blood by heart or from increased resistance to blood flow in arteries
-scars and hardens arteries, less elastic and further increasing bp
-a person w/ high bp has to work harder than normal to force blood in narrowed/stiffed arteries which strains the heart –> strained heart weakens and tends to enlarge
-silent killer bc no symptoms (primary/essential hypertension)
-underlying illness is called secondary hypertension
prevalence of hypertension
20% of adults have hypertension and 66% have it controlled
-high BP increases with age and more common in women
-higher rate in first nations, inuit, and metis + those of african and south asian descent
treatment of high bp
-primary hypertension cannot be cured but can be controlled
-have bp checked
-lifestyle changes: healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating healthy, less salt, quitting smoking/secondhand, drinking alc moderately, potassium intake
which lipoproteins influence risk of heart disease
-low density lipoproteins (LDL) –> bad cholesterol bc excess gets trapped in blood vessels, blockage or dmg in artery walls –> heart attack or stroke if artery is blocked
-high density lipoproteins (HDL) –> good cholesterol brings unused cholesterol back to liver for recycling. also helps protect against atherosclerosis
obesity
-increased weight = increased risk of cvd + risk of death is 2-3x more likely
-excess body fat associated w/ hyper tension, high chol lvls , diabetes, physical inactivity and endothelial cell dysfunction (constriction of coronary arteries and limits blood flow to heart) as well as inflammatory markers
-enlargement of heart and heart has to work harder to pump blood and heart muscle can start to fail
diabetes
elevated blood glucose lvls bc of not enough/inadequate action of insulin
-increases risk of cvd by 2-4x
-mainly affect arteries + when the larger artery is affected, all forms of CVD result
what contributing risk factors can also be changed
high triglyceride lvls, psychological and social factors
metabolic syndrome
when a person has more than 3 conditions (high abdominal obesity, triglycerides, low hdl chol, high bp, high fasting glucose)
inflammation
c-reactive protein is released when an artery is injured and high lvls indicate elevated risk of heart attack and stroke and may be harmful to coronary arteries themselves
psychological and social factors of heart disease
-mental stress, chronic underlying emotions of anger, anxiety and depression, social isolation, low ses, alc and other drugs
major risk factors that cannot be changed
heredity, aging (being older), sex (being male), ethnicity
risk factors currently being studied
-homocysteine: dmgs lining of blood vessels –> inflammation and development of fatty deposits, cognitive impairment
-infectious agents (flu infection)
-lipoprotein(a)
-ldl particle size
-high blood viscosity and high iron
-uric acid
-time of day and time of year (6 am + noon) as well as in winter months
main forms of cvd
atherosclerosis, heart disease and heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, congestive heart failure, congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, heeart valve problems, hypertension
atherosclerosis
thickening and hardening of the arteries
-process begins w/ dmged endothelial cells and results in inflammation and changes in artery lining and causes build ups of plaque in the artery wall
-artery loses elasticity and restricts blood flow which makes it vulnerable to blood clots
coronary heart disease
coronary arteries affected by atherosclerosis and blockage = heart attack and cerebral artery blockage = stroke
peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
artery in limb becomes narrowed or blocked
risk factors for atherosclerosis
cig smoking, high bp, no physical activity, high chol, diabetes
-often begins in childhood
myocardial infarction
-heart attack from dmg or death of heart muscle due to not enough blood being delivered by coronary arteries
-ages 65 and older affected
symptoms of heart attack
-chest discomfort
-sweating
-upper body discomfort
-nausea
-shortness of breath
-light headedness
-fear, anxiety or denial
stroke
-occurs when there is blockage of blood flow to a region of brain tissue
-ischemic: blockage disrupts blood flow to brain (80%) and can be thrombotic or embolic
-hemorrhagic: blood vessel bursts (less common).. 20%
-thromboscular accidents
signs of stroke
Face: is it drooping
Arms: can you raise both
Speech: is it slurred or jumbled
Time: to call 911
