Cardiovascular (8)

• Examples of cardiovascular diseases (CVD)


  • Hypertension
  • Heart failure
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Cerebrovascular disease
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Rheumatic heart disease
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Cardiomyopathies
• Hypertension


  Commonly associated with increased left ventricular wall mass and changes in chamber size
• Baroreceptors


  Internal carotid arteries have carotid sinus baroreceptors that detect high blood pressure, aortic arch has aortic arch baroreceptors that detect low blood pressure
• Atherosclerosis


  Thickening and hardening of arteries due to buildup of plaque, an inflammatory disease with plaque made of cholesterol and lipids
• Effects of atherosclerosis


  • Stenosis (loss of luminal diameter leading to critical reduction in blood flow)
  • Rupture (sudden thrombosis and/or embolism)
  • Thrombosis (blood coagulation leading to sudden vascular occlusion)
  • Embolism (dislodgment of solid material into arterial circulation leading to occlusion)
• Statins


  Lipid lowering drugs that reduce hepatic cholesterol synthesis
• Balloon angioplasty


  Used to treat atherosclerosis in coronary arteries, uninflated balloon passed through and inflated to squash arterial plaque
• Heart failure symptoms


  • Shortness of breath on exercise
  • Fatigue
  • Palpitations
  • Angina, chest discomfort, tightness, pain
• Causes of death in heart failure


  • Sudden death
  • Cardiac event - heart attack
  • Other cardiovascular event - stroke
• Hemostasis


  Injury exposes collagen, causing vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation, and blood clot formation via the coagulation cascade