Cardiovascular Pathologies

Question 1

What is hypercholesterolaemia and it’s causes?

Answer 1

Elevated cholesterol in blood.

Causes:
Familial (defect in chromosome 9 inability to remove LDL from blood.
Age related
Obesity
Smoking
Diet

Question 2

What is arteriosclerosis?

Answer 2

Thickening, loss of elasticity of arterial walls. (Becomes hard)

Leads to formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which may disrupt blood flow to organs

Affects large and medium sizes arteries

Question 3

Atherosclerosis: define the cause/risks, signs symptoms and complications.

Answer 3

Causes/risks
✅hereditary, male, age, race
✅diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, stress, sedentary lifestyle

Signs & symptoms
✅angina pectoris
✅intermittent claudication (block
✅stroke

Symptoms occur due to progressive blood vessel lumen stenosis/narrowing

Question 4

What is angina pectoris, it’s causes and signs & symptoms.

Answer 4

(Ischaemic = inadequate blood supply to organ or tissue)

Ischaemic heart disease due to obstruction or spasm of coronary arteries

Cause:
Stable-pain is precipitated by exercise
Unstable - random

Signs & symptoms:
✅Heavy constricting chest pain, radiating to neck, left should and jaw.
✅Eases on rest
✅Dyspnoea

Question 5

What is a stroke and what causes it?

Answer 5

It’s a disruption of blood supply to the brain. Also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Characterised by decreased cerebral function lasting more than 24hrs

Causes:
Thrombus/embolus = ischaemic stroke
Heamorrhagic stroke:blood vessel damage

Question 6

What is transient ischaemic attack? Mini stroke.

Causes and signs and symptoms

Answer 6

It’s a temporary inadequacy of circulation to part of the brain. Last no longer than 24 hours

Causes: same as stroke. Embolism

S&S: transient impaired function, unilateral weakness, dysphasia, unilateral tingling

Question 7

What is an aneurysm and its signs and symptoms.

Answer 7

Abnormal local dilations of arteries due to weakness of the vessel wall.

Signs and symptoms:
✅abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) asymptotic until it bursts. Usually fatal.
✅cerebral: commonly a berry aneurysm causing sub-arachnoid haemorrhage (severe headache)

Question 8

What is DVT?

Answer 8

Thrombus formation in the deep veins of the legs.

Clot may dislodge and cause a pulmonary embolism.

Symptoms: dyspnoea, cough, chest pains, tachycardia.

Risks:
✅reduced blood flow
✅changes in blood
✅damage to blood vessel wall

Question 9

What is hypertension?

What are the complications?

Answer 9

High blood pressure - 140/90mmHg or higher

Complications:
Cardiovascular events
Chronic kidney disease
Stroke
Cognitive decline and cerebral oedema
Premature death
Retinal bleeding

Question 10

Describe heart failure and it’s causes.

Answer 10

Failure of the hearts mechanism as a pump

Causes:
Coronary heart disease and hypertension
Often secondary to MI

Question 11

List the cause and signs & symptoms of right sided heart failure.

Answer 11

Cause:
✅Increased vascular resistance in the lungs (lung disease)
✅back pressure from the left side of the heart (valve problems)
✅previous heart attack

S&S
✅systemic oedema
✅Ascites
✅portal hypertension

Question 12

List the cause and signs & symptoms of left sided heart failure.

Answer 12

High blood pressie
Myocardial weakness
Valve problems

S&S:
✅pulmonary oedema
✅congestion bronchitis
✅cardiac asthma

Question 13

What is a mycardial infarction (heart attack)

Answer 13

Necrosis of myocardial tissue due to ischaemia

S&S: sever chest pains
More than 20 mins which does not improve with rest.

Management
Oxygen
CPR 
Aspirin
Angioplasty 
Thrombolytic therapy
GTN spray

Question 14

What is Arrythmias?

Answer 14

Any disorder of heart rate/rhythm