3. Risks of CVD

• How can the risk of cardiovascular disease be reduced?

  By stopping smoking and exercising regularly
• What is the causal link between cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases?

  Cholesterol is involved in plaque formation
• What is a risk factor?

  The chance of something unfavorable happening, the statistical chance is supported by scientific research
• Why might people’s perceptions differ from actual risk?

  Due to personal experience and media influence
• What are the differences between overestimating and underestimating risk?

  • Overestimate: Believe risks are greater than they are
  • Underestimate: Believe risks are lower than they are
• What are some factors that can influence risk perception?

  Personal experience, media articles, and information exposure
• What are the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

  • Genetics
  • Diet (high in saturated fat and salt)
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Blood pressure
  • Smoking
  • Inactivity
• How does a diet high in saturated fat affect CVD risk?

  Increases cholesterol levels and atheroma formation
• What is the effect of high salt intake on blood pressure?

  Causes kidneys to retain too much water
• How does smoking contribute to cardiovascular disease?

  Reduces HDL levels and increases cholesterol deposition
• What is the impact of inactivity on cardiovascular health?

  Increases blood pressure and reduces heart efficiency
• How does genetics influence the risk of CVD?

  Inherited alleles can increase CVD risk
• How does age affect cardiovascular disease risk?

  Risk increases as arteries become less elastic
• What role does gender play in CVD risk?

  Women have higher HDL levels reducing risk
• What are free radicals and their effect on health?

  Highly reactive chemicals that can damage cells
• How do antioxidants help prevent damage from free radicals?

  They provide H atoms to pair with unpaired electrons
• What is considered obesity in terms of BMI?

  BMI > 30
• How does obesity increase the risk of CHD?

  Increases blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels
• What are HDLs and their role in cardiovascular health?

  Good cholesterol that lowers blood cholesterol
• What are LDLs and their impact on cardiovascular health?

  Bad cholesterol that increases blood cholesterol levels
• How does alcohol affect cardiovascular health?

  Increases blood pressure and reduces blood flow
• What is the effect of stress on cardiovascular health?

  Increases heart rate and constricts arteries
• What are the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

  • Smoking
  • High salt diet
  • Inactivity
  • Genetics
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Stress
  • Alcohol
  • Obesity
• Smoking

  • Reduces HDLS
  • Carbon monoxide increases deposition of cholesterol in atheroma formation.
  • Increased heart rate and causes vasoconstriction to increase blood pressure, which increase the risk of damage to lining of arteries and increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
  • Contents in Smoke ( for example free radicals( which can get into the bloodstream can damage endothelium lining of blood vessels.
  • Decrease in antioxidants in the blood which normally protects cells from damage 
• More on smoking

  • Carbon monoxide combines irreversibly with hemoglobin to produce carboxyhaemoglobin   which cannot carry oxygen
  • Oxygen carrying capacity of blood reduces
  • If blood flow is reduced due to atherosclerosis, tissues get even less oxygen which can increase risk of cell damage or death 
  • Nicotine also increases thickness of platelets so increasing risk of blood clots especially in this the coronary arteries increases the risk of coronary heart disease    
• Salt

  • 6 g per day of salt is recommended
  • A high salt diet causes a kidneys to retain too much water.
  • So are higher fluid content in the blood increases blood volume
  • Which increases blood pressure
  • Risk of damage to archery Ward athroma forms which can increase risk of CVD   
• Exercise

  • Exercise improves coronary circulation which decreases the risk of cvd
  •   Exercise increases HDL levels which help to lower bad cholesterol 
  • Lower levels of exercise make The Heart inefficient as a cardiac output is reduced, the heart rate increases and the artery walls become less elastic.  
• Genetics

  • Some alleles increase the risk of CVD
• Age and gender

  • Woman have naturally higher hdl levels due to a higher oestrogen levels.
  • Oestrogen increases the blood flow to the muscles. 
  • Men are three times more likely to suffer from cvd
• Vitamins as antioxidants

  • Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals produced by some normal metabolic reactions in the body or in reactions that break down toxins. 
  • Antioxidants help prevent damage caused by free radicals.
  • Good source of antioxidants is from citrus fruits (vitamin c) or whole grain cereals(vitamin E) or carrots (beta-carotene, used to make vitamin A)
• Obesity

  Obesity is defined as having a BMI over 30

  • Your blood pressure increases your blood LDL cholesterol increases which increases a risk of atheroma and atherosclerosis 
• High density lipoproteins hdl's unsaturated fats 

  • Hdls are good cholesterol
  • Transport cholesterol absorbed from food to liver to be broken down
  • Lowest blood cholesterol and gets rid of cholesterol
  • Prevents cholesterol deposition in artery walls.
• Low density lipoproteins LDL saturated fats

  • Ldl's are bad cholesterol
  • It's circulates in the bloodstream and not taken up by body cells so it s not removed.
• Alcohol

  • Alcohol decreases the blood flow to the
  • Increases blood pressure by constricting arteries  
• Stress

  • Causes of release of adrenaline which increases the heart rate and constricts arteries
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