Cardiovascular disease

Question 1

What is cardiovascular disease?

Answer 1

Disease associated with the heart and blood vessels

Question 2

When does coronary heart disease occur?

Answer 2

When coronary arteries have lots of atheroma’s in them which restricts the blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to a myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Question 3

What is the endothelium in the artery like?

Answer 3

Usually smooth and unbroken

Question 4

How might damage be caused to the endothelium?

Answer 4

Through high blood pressure

Question 5

If the endothelium is damaged, what will clump together at the site of damage?

Answer 5

White blood cells and lipids

Question 6

What is an atheroma?

Answer 6

A hard, fibrous plaque

Question 7

How is an atheroma caused?

Answer 7

Over time, the build up of white blood cells, lipids and connective tissue hardens

Question 8

What does the atheroma do to the lumen? What is the consequence of this?

Answer 8

It partially blocks the lumen and causes a restriction to blood flow and in turn increases blood pressure

Question 9

What is an aneurysm?

Answer 9

Balloon-like swelling of the artery

Question 10

How is an aneurysm caused?

Answer 10

Atheroma causes the artery to be weakened, so the high blood pressure through the weaker artery may cause the inner layers of the artery through the outer elastic layer to form an aneurysm

Question 11

What might happen if the aneurysm bursts?

Answer 11

A haemorrhage may be caused (bleeding)

Question 12

What is thrombosis?

Answer 12

The formation of a blood clot

Question 13

How is thrombosis caused?

Answer 13

Atheroma plaque can rupture the endothelium which damages the artery wall leaving a rough surface where platelets and fibrin accumulate and form a blood clot.
The blood clot can cause a complete blockage of the artery or become dislodges and block a blood vessel elsewhere in the body

Question 14

What is a myocardial infarction?

Answer 14

Heart attack

Question 15

How is a myocardial infarction caused?

Answer 15

The heart muscle is supplied with blood by the coronary arteries but if the coronary artery becomes blocked, eg. by a blood clot, the heart muscle will be cut off from its oxygen supply

Question 16

What does a heart attack cause?

Answer 16

Damage and death of the heart muscle

Question 17

What are symptoms of a heart attack?

Answer 17

pain in the chest and upper body
Shortness of breath
Sweating

Question 18

What are 3 risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

Answer 18

Smoking
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol

Question 19

How is high blood pressure a risk factor?

Answer 19

It causes an atheroma formation which then causes a blood clot which can go on to form a myocardial infarction

Question 20

How is high blood cholesterol a risk factor?

Answer 20

Cholesterol causes fatty build up which forms atheromas, atheromas lead to blood clots which then lead to a myocardial infarction

Question 21

How is smoking a risk factor in terms of antioxidants?

Answer 21

It causes fewer antioxidants which causes damage to coronary artery walls and therefore the formation of an atheroma which then leads to a myocardial infarction

Question 22

How is smoking a risk factor in terms of carbon monoxide?

Answer 22

Smoking causes less oxygen in blood as cigarettes have CO which binds to haemoglobin
There Is less oxygen taken to tissues and therefore this can lead to a myocardial infarction