Unit 4: CVD Flashcards
List the major components of the cardiovascular system
Describe how blood is circulated through the body
Heart, blood vessels, lungs
Deoxygenated blood is pumped from the veins that come from the rest of the body
Blood is pumped through the inferior and superior vena cava into the right atrium
Blood is pumped from the right atrium into the right ventricle and out to the pulmonary artery to be oxygenated in the lungs
Deoxygenated blood is oxygenated and drops off carbon dioxide, then is pumped back to the heart through pulmonary veins
Oxygenated blood pumped into the left atrium, then into left ventricle to be pumped out into the aorta to go to the rest of the body and bring oxygen to them through veins and capillaries
What are the two terms that describe the heart relaxing, contracting?
Relaxing: diastole
Contracting: systole
What controls the heart’s contractions?
Nerve impulses that originate in bundle of specialized cells called pacemaker
Describe the coronary arteries. Where they get blood from, what their purpose is and what happens if they get blocked.
Branch off of the aorta, supply heart’s muscle with blood so that it’s able to contract
Blockage can cause cells in heart to die and eventually a heart attack
Name and describe the types of blood vessels
Veins: bring blood toward the heart
Arteries: bring blood away from the heart
Capillaries: smallest vessels, where transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide happen between blood and tissue
Venules: small veins that carry blood and transition to larger veins
Describe the MAJOR modifiable risk factors for CVD
(6)
- Tobacco use
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- High cholesterol
- Physical inactivity
- Overweight and obesity
- Diabetes
Explain how tobacco use is a risk factor for CVD.
Damages lining of arteries, reduces HDL, raises LDL, reduces O2, leading to clotting
Describe how HBP is a risk factor for CVD.
What is it often called and why?
Does it have a cure?
Strains heart and arteries as arteries narrow and stiffen
“Silent killer” - usually has no symptoms
Can’t be cured but can be controlled
Explain how high cholesterol is a risk factor for CVD.
Differentiate HDL and LDL
Clogs arteries. High cholesterol = high LDL levels
HDL: shuttle unused cholesterol back to liver for recycling
LDL: shuttle cholesterol from liver to tissues
Explain how physical inactivity is a risk factor for CVD.
Increases blood pressure and resting heart rate
Decreases HDL
Explain obesity as a risk factor for CVD.
(What risk factors does it contribute to)
Excess body fat associated with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, physical inactivity
Explain how diabetes is a risk factor for CVD.
(Explain the 2 types of diabetes)
Type 1: inherited, body cannot make enough insulin
Type 2: caused by lifestyle, body does not respond to insulin
Insulin is required for cells to take up glucose
State then describe the MAJOR non-modifiable risk factors for CVD
(4)
- Heredity: genes that contribute to high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and obesity
- Aging: as you get old, your heart muscle and cardiovascular system weakens
- Gender: estrogen production may protect premenopausal women against CVD
Men are more likely to face heart attack
Race, ethnicity and geography: south Asian, African and Indigenous people have higher rates of hypertension, heart disease and stoke
What does CHD stand for?
Coronary Heart Disease
What are 5 CONTRIBUTING modifiable risk factors to CVD?
- High triglyceride levels
- Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome
- Inflammation
- Psychological and Social factors
- Alcohol and drugs
What are endothelial cells?
What causes them to dysfunction? What occurs as a result? (in regards to coronary arteries)
Endothelial cells line the inside of arteries and help regulate blood flow, keeping platelets and other cells from sticking to artery walls
Excess weight damages endothelial cells, coronary arteries constrict
Discuss 5 major forms of CVD
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart disease & Heart attack
- Stroke
- PAD (peripheral artery disease)
- Congestive heart failure
Describe the process of atherosclerosis
Begins w/ small lesion in vessel
* Caused by nicotine, hypertension, cholesterol, free radicals
Fats deposit in lesion
Macrophages try to help and eat cholesterol, but they don’t get full so they explode and worsen
Smooth muscle covers up, narrowed artery forms
Soft tissue gradually becomes replaced by calcium
Walls become stiff, causing arteriosclerosis
How does a heart attack occur?
What is it scientifically called?
Clogged coronary artery leading to damage or death of myocardium
Myocardial infarction
What causes a stroke?
What are the two types of strokes?
Reduced blood flow, lack of O2 to the brain causing brain tissue death
Ischemic: blockage disrupts blood flow
Hemorrhage: blood vessels burst
What is PAD?
(peripheral artery disease)
Atherosclerosis in limb arteries
What is congestive heart failure?
When fluids begin to pool in lungs or other parts of the body because the heart cannot maintain the regular pumping rate
What are the signs of a stroke?
Fce – drooping?
Aarms - raisable
Speech – slurred?
Time – to call 911
What are TIAs?
Mini-stroke that people experience a while before having a full-blown stroke
What is angina?
- When the need for oxygen exceeds the supply to the heart
- Chest pain
What is cardiac arrest? What is it most often caused by?
- Sudden loss of heart activity
- Usually caused by arrhythmia, a condition where the electrical system of the heartbeat is disrupted
What are some symptoms of a heart attack?
- Chest discomfort (pressure, paining, burning)
- Sweating
- Upper body discomfort (neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, back)
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Light-headedness
- Fear, anxiety, denial
Why do heart attacks usually result from atherosclerosis?
Coronary arteries are susceptible to plaque buildup (CHD)
Blockage of coronary arteries limits supply of oxygen to heart
List the steps you can take to lower your personal risk of developing CVD.
Eating heart healthy
- Healthy fats: avoid trans, saturated
- Lower sodium intake
- Fruits & veggies
- Lots of fiber and whole grains
- B vitamins
Physical activity
Keep BP and cholesterol in check
Keep a healthy weight
Develop effective ways to manage stress
Avoid tobacco
How does physical activity reduce risk of CVD?
- Strengthens myocardium
- Boosts HDL and reduced LDL and triglyceride levels
- Reduces blood pressure
