Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors

• What is cardiovascular disease (CVD)?


  A general term used to describe any disease associated with the heart or blood vessels
• What are most CVD‘s caused by?

  Atheroma formation in blood vessels
• What are atheromas?


  Fibrous plaques which narrow the lumen of arteries
• How are atheromas formed?


  When an arteries endothelium is damaged (typically) by high blood pressure, white blood cells, lipids and platelets clump together to form fatty streaks under the lining, which builds up over time and eventually hardens.
• Atheromas partially block the lumen of the artery and restrict blood flow, which causes an increase in the blood pressure, which in turn can cause more atheromas to form
• What are some CVD’s caused by atheromas?


  CHD, aneurysm, thrombosis, angina, strokes and myocardial infarction
• What is CHD?


  A type of CVD caused when the coronary arteries contain may atheromas, which restrict blood flow to the heart muscle, this increases the risk of a myocardial infarction
• What is an aneurysm?


  A build up of blood behind a blockage that causes the artery to bulge and weaken, which splits and causes internal bleeding
• What is thrombosis?


  The formation of a blood clot due to an atheroma bursting through the endothelium and causing a rough surface, platelets will accumulate at the site of damage and cause a blood clot, which can completely block blood vessels, or break off and cause blockage elsewhere
• What are the symptoms of angina?


  Pain in the chest and arms and breathlessness
• What is angina?


  When the body respires anaerobically as the coronary artery cannot deliver enough blood to the heart muscle due to plaques that build up in the coronary arteries
• What is a stroke?


  An interruption to the blood supply in the brain, which cuts off blood supply either from a bleed from a damaged vessel or a blockage
• Blockages in the main vessels in the brain can cause serious strokes, but in smaller vessels, the effects are less severe
• What is another term for myocardial infarction?


  Heart attacks
• What is atherosclerosis?


  When the walls around plaques are stiffened, which makes them prone to crack
• Heart attacks can be caused by blood clots formed from atherosclerosis
• How can atherosclerosis cause heart attacks?


  Platelets detect the damage and trigger the clotting mechanisms, which can form a clot that can then block the entire blood vessel, if this occurs in a coronary artery a heart attack can be caused
• What is a heart attack?


  When the heart muscle is starved of oxygen and nutrients and will thus stop contracting
• What are some predisposed risk factors for CVD?


  Genetics, age, gender, ethnicity and other illnesses such as diabetes
• As arteries become less elastic with age, there is an increased risk of CVD as an individual becomes older
• As oestrogen makes arteries more elastic, men are more likely to suffer with CVD
• South Asian and African-Caribbean backgrounds have greater risk of certain forms of CVD
• Having other illnesses, such as diabetes, which can increase blood pressure can make an individual more vulnerable to CVD
• How does hypertension increase the risk of CVD?


  It causes an increased risk of damage to the artery walls, as there is an increase in friction, thus increasing the risk of atheroma formation
• What are the risk factors of hypertension?

  Being overweight or obese, not exercising enough and excessive alcohol consumption
• How can an individual reduce the risk of developing hypertension?


  Reducing alcohol consumption, eating a balanced diet, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight
• How does high blood cholesterol increase the risk of CVD?


  Increased blood cholesterol concentration increases the risk of atheromas as it is one of the main constituents of the fatty deposits that causes them
• What is the risk factor for high blood cholesterol?


  A diet high in saturated fat or salt
• How can an individual reduce the risk of developing high blood cholesterol?


  Eating a diet low in saturated fat and salt, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight
• Carbon monoxide and nicotine from cigarette smoke increases the risk of CVD and myocardial infarction
• How does carbon monoxide increase the risk of CVD?


  It combines with haemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the blood
• Smoking decreases the amount of antioxidants in the blood, which may help to protect cells from damage, this means that damage to the artery walls is more likely
• Nicotine narrows the arteries, causing increased blood pressure and risk of atheroma formation