Perfusion: NURS 306 Pathopharmacology II

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the pathophysiology, diagnostics, and pharmacological treatments for hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, chronic stable angina, and peripheral artery disease.

Hyperlipidemia

Elevated levels of lipids, specifically triglycerides and cholesterol, in the blood.

Lipoproteins

Lipids combined with proteins that act as vehicles for fat mobilization and transport, making them soluble for use by the body.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)

Lipoproteins that carry lipids away from the arteries to the liver for metabolism; optimal levels are considered $> 60\,mg/dL$.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)

Lipoproteins that contain more cholesterol and have an attraction for arterial walls; optimal levels are considered $< 130\,mg/dL$.

Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL)

Lipoproteins with a higher concentration of triglycerides that can deposit cholesterol directly onto arterial walls.

Triglycerides

Lipids used as energy sources and stored in adipose tissue; optimal levels are considered $< 150\,mg/dL$.

Exogenous Pathway

The pathway of cholesterol metabolism where triglycerides and cholesterol consumed from food are assembled into chylomicrons in the gastrointestinal tract.

Endogenous Pathway

The pathway where the body synthesizes cholesterol, assembling triglycerides and cholesterol within the liver into VLDL.

HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Statins)

First-line therapy for hypercholesterolemia (e.g., Atorvastatin) that inhibits the HMG-CoA Reductase enzyme to reduce cholesterol levels.

Pregnancy Category X

The classification for statins because they can cause fetal harm and provide no known benefit during pregnancy.

Rhabdomyolysis

A serious adverse effect of statins involving muscle breakdown; the risk increases with the consumption of grapefruit juice.

Bile Acid Sequestrants

Medications like Cholestyramine that bind bile in the small intestine to prevent resorption, forming an insoluble complex excreted in stool.

Nicotinic Acid (Niacin)

Also known as Vitamin B3; it reduces the metabolism and catabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides, often causing flushing managed by NSAIDs.

Atherosclerosis

A condition characterized by fatty deposits (plaque) forming within the intima, the innermost layer of the arterial wall.

Foam Cell

A bloated monocyte that has engulfed oxidized LDL; it is a key component in the formation of a fatty streak.

Chronic Stable Angina

Intermittent chest pain occurring over a long period with a consistent pattern, caused by myocardial oxygen demand exceeding supply.

Nitrates

Medications such as Nitroglycerin that cause vasodilation to decrease preload and afterload, thereby reducing oxygen demand and increasing blood flow.

Beta-Blockers

Medications such as Atenolol and Metoprolol that block beta-adrenergic receptors to decrease heart rate, contractility, and blood pressure.

Calcium Channel Blockers

Medications like Diltiazem and Verapamil that prevent calcium ions from moving into cardiac and vascular smooth muscle to dilate vessels and reduce heart rate.

Antiplatelet Therapy

The use of medications like Aspirin ($81\,mg$ daily) or Clopidogrel ($75\,mg$ daily) to prevent platelets from clumping and forming clots.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Obstruction of large arteries in the peripheral structures, typically the lower extremities, resulting from atherosclerosis or inflammatory processes.

Intermittent Claudication

The primary symptom of chronic obstructive arterial disease characterized by pain during walking that resolves with rest.

Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)

A diagnostic tool for PAD calculated by using a handheld doppler and a manual BP cuff to record when the signal returns after being obliterated.

Cilostazol

A medication that acts as both an antiplatelet aggregator and a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor to treat intermittent claudication by promoting vasodilation.