Blood Pressure and Oedema

• What are risk factors in CVD?

  • Genetics
  • Diet
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Smoking
  • Inactivity
• How does genetics impact the risk of CVD?

  Certain alleles increase cholesterol production or makes the body more susceptible to high blood pressure
• How does diet affect the risk of CVD?

  • High levels of saturated fats increases cholesterol and the chance of atheroma formation
  • High salt diets increase blood pressure
• How does age affect the risk of CVD?

  • Fatty deposits accumulate in blood vessels over time
  • Arteries harden after middle age
• How does sex affect the risk of CVD?

  • Men have a higher risk of CVD as they have less oestrogen, oestrogen increases the level of HDLs in the body which removes cholesterol in the blood
• How does smoking affect the risk of CVD?

  • Nicotine makes platelets more sticky increasing the chance of blood clotting
  • Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin, reducing the amount of oxygen being transported so the heart has to pump faster causing high blood pressure
  • Reduces the level of antioxidants in the blood that protect the arteries from damage
• How does inactivity affect the risk of CVD?

  Sedentary lifestyles increase blood pressure
• What can cause the formation of tissue fluid?

  • High blood pressure
  • Kidney disease
  • Heart disease
  • Pregnancy
• What is an oedema?

  Swelling
• How is tissue fluid formed due to high blood pressure?

  High blood pressure forces tissue fluid out of capillaries into tissue which bathes the tissue cells
• What is the medical term for high blood pressure?

  Hypertension
• What is threshold for high blood pressure?

  140/90mmHg or higher
• What is the term for drugs which reduce high blood pressure?

  Antihypertensives