2.7

• Angina


  Chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles and is usually caused by coronary heart disease
• Blood clot


  A thickened mass of blood formed by platelets
• Coronary artery


  One of the arteries that supplies the heart muscle with oxygen and glucose so that it can continually respire and therefore contract
• Embolus


  A mass that moves through blood vessels until reaches a vessel that is too small to pass through
• Heart attack


  A condition where the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by the build-up of fatty material in one or more of the coronary arteries. Heart muscle is damaged in the process.
• Lipid


  Fat or oils, composed of fatty acids and glycerol
• Saturated fat


  Fat that contains only saturated fatty acids. Foods which contain saturated fat include butter, cream and cheese.
• Stroke


  Damage to the brain caused by bleeding or blood clots in the brain's blood vessels
• Thrombosis


  The formation of blood clots inside a blood vessel
• Percentage decrease (problem-solving)


  1. Time on low-saturated fat diet

  2. Concentration of LDL in blood (mg/dL)
• Concentration of LDL in blood (mg/dL) has decreased by 48%
• Atherosclerosis


  • Accumulation of fatty material (consisting mainly of cholesterol, fibrous material and calcium) forming an atheroma or plaque beneath the endothelium
  • Artery thickens and loses its elasticity
  • Diameter of the lumen becomes reduced and blood flow becomes restricted resulting in increased blood pressure
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

  Narrowing of the arteries that are not connected to the heart or the brain due to atherosclerosis. The arteries to the legs are most commonly affected. Pain is experienced in the leg muscles due to a limited supply of oxygen.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)


  A blood clot that forms in a deep vein, most commonly in the leg. The blood clot can break off to form an embolus and result in a pulmonary embolism in the lungs.
• Thrombosis


  1. Atheromas may rupture damaging the endothelium of the artery

  2. Damage releases clotting factors

  3. Clotting factors convert prothrombin to thrombin

  4. Thrombin causes fibrinogen to form fibrin threads

  5. Fibrin threads form a meshwork that clots the blood and seals the wound

  6. Fibrin threads provide a scaffold for scar tissue formation
• Cholesterol


  • A type of lipid found in the cell membrane, also used to make sex hormones
  • Synthesised by all cells, 25% in the liver
  • Appropriate level must be maintained, too much can cause CVD
  • A diet high in saturated fats or cholesterol causes an increase in cholesterol levels in the blood
• HDL


  High density lipoproteins that transport excess cholesterol from body cells to the liver for elimination
• LDL


  Low density lipoproteins that transport cholesterol from the liver to body cells and deposit cholesterol inside arteries
• Higher ratio of HDL to LDL


  Results in lower blood cholesterol and reduced chance of atherosclerosis
• Benefits of physical activity and low-fat diet

  • Regular physical activity tends to raise HDL levels
  • Dietary changes aim to reduce total fat and replace saturated with unsaturated fats
  • Reducing blood cholesterol through prescribed medications like statins that inhibit cholesterol synthesis by liver cells