Cardiovascular disease

• myocardial infraction - blockage of coronary arteries leads to these, also known as a heart attack
• Atheroma formation:

  • they occur when the endothelium on the artery is damaged usually by high blood pressure
  • white blood cells will try and repair the damage
  • they clump together with lipids to form fatty streaks under the lining
  • over time they build up and harden to form an atheroma
• atheroma's are fibrous plaques made of fatty material which narrow the lumen of arteries
• the atheroma partially blocks the lumen of the artery increasing blood pressure and potentially causing more atheromas to form
• Aneurysm:

  • blood can build up behind a blockage causing the wall to bulge and weaken, this increases chances of wall splitting and internal bleeding occurring
  • these are often fatal
• Thrombosis:

  • formation of a blood clot due to atheroma bursting through the endothelium and causing a rough surface
  • platelets accumulate at the site of damage and can cause a blood clot
  • this can completely block arteries or break off and cause a blockage elsewhere
• Angina:

  • plaque can build up in the coronary arteries and reduce blood flow to areas of the heart muscle
  • when exercising, coronary artery cannot deliver enough blood to heart muscle so people may experience pain as their heart respires anaerobically
• stroke

  • caused by an interruption of blood supply to the brain
• myocardial infractions:

  • caused by blood clots
  • the walls around a plaque are stiffened making them prone to cracks
  • platelets detect this damage and trigger the clotting mechanism
  • this clot can then block the whole blood vessel
  • the heart muscle is starved of oxygen and nutrients so it stops contracting