1 - Cardiovascular Intro Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the functions of the cardiovascular system?
- supply organs with O2, glucose, nutrients, hormonal messages etc.
- remove waste products
- homeostasis
- stop bleeding, repair damage
- initial immune reaction
What are the risk factors for heart disease?
- dyslipidaemia
- smoking
- diabetes
- hypertension
- male sex
- increasing age
- family history
(also obesity, sedentary lifestyle, inflammatory disease, S. Asian ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, lower birth weight)
What are the layers of the artery called?
endothelium and internal elastic lamina = intima layer
media layer and external elastic lamina makes up adventitia layer
What is the first step in the process of atherosclerosis?
Endothelial damage
- expression of inflammatory molecules
- release of inflammatory cytokines
- increased permeability to inflammatory cells, lipids
What happens once an immune reaction is initiated in the process of atherosclerosis?
- monocytes differentiate into macrophages
- T-lymphocyte action
- accumulate lipids (foam cells)
- fatty streak can be seen macroscopically
What are the steps leading up to complex plaque formation?
- foam cells undergo apoptosis
- lipid pools in the subendothelial space
- plaque development
- fibrous collagen cap formation
- plaque becomes complex
What are the characteristics of a complex plaque?
- lipid, cholesterol
- cells + cell debris (macrophages, T-cells, smooth muscle cells)
- collagen, elastin, MPS
- haemorrhage (neovessels)
- calcification
- highly thrombogenic
What happens during atherothrombosis?
- plaque rupture
- thrombogenic core exposed to blood
- clotting cascade activated
- platelets recruited
- thrombus forms
- vessel occlusion (ischaemia, infarction)
What is ischaemia?
reduction of blood flow (reversible)
What is infarction?
lack of blood flow that causes death of cells further down (irreversible)
What is embolisation?
- An embolus is a clot that forms somewhere and travels someplace else.
- distal vessel occlusion
- arrhythmogenic potential
What happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries of the brain?
- stroke
- TIA
- carotid disease
What happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries of the heart?
- heart failure
- arrythmia
- angina
- MI
What happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the kidney?
renal failure
What happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the testicles?
impotence
what happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries around the gut?
mesenteric ischaemia/ infarction
what happens if atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries of the leg?
- peripheral vascular disease
- intermittent claudication
- gangrene
What is angina (chronic coronary syndrome)
- central ‘crushing’ chest pain due to myocardial ischaemia
- usually due to flow-limiting atherosclerosis
- other causes can be anaemia
- can radiate to the jaw/teeth/arms
