CVS disorders

what is the leading cause of death in Western countries?

cardiovascular diseases (CVD)

what are some major cardiovascular disorders?

1. atherosclerosis

2. stroke

3. heart attack

4. aneurysm

5. hypertension

what causes atherosclerosis?

build up of fatty material, plaque, mainly cholesterol, under the inner lining of arteries.

what can plaque form?

a thrombus, or a blood clot. the thrombus can dislodge as an embolus and lead to thromboembolism, which is when the obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot that was dislodge from elsewhere in the circulatory system

what is a stroke?

also known as a cerebrovascular accident, it results when an embolus lodges in a cerebral blood vessel or a cerebral blood vessel bursts, causing a portion of the brain to die

what is a heart attack?

also known as myocardial infarction, it occurs when a portion of the heart muscle dies due to a lack of oxygen

what is partial blockage of a coronary artery known as?

angina pectoris or chest pain

what is an aneurysm?

a ballooning of a blood vessel, typically in the abdominal aorta or arteries leading to the brain.

when do aneurysms lead to death?

if it occurs in a large vessel which then bursts

what weakens blood vessels over time?

atherosclerosis and hypertension weaken them, increasing the risk of aneurysm

what is a coronary bypass operation?

it involves removing a segment of another blood vessel and using it to replace a clogged coronary artery

what is angioplasty?

a procedure used to clear clogged arteries. a long tube is threaded through an arm or leg vessel to the point where the coronary artery is blocked; inflating the tube will force the tube to stay open. small metal stents are expanded inside the artery to keep it open

what are stents coated with?

heparin, which prevents blood clotting, along with chemicals to prevent arterial closing

what are medical treatments for dissolving blood clotting known as?

t-PA, or tissue plasminogen activator, which converts plasminogen into plasmin, an enzyme that dissolves blood clots but can cause brain bleeds

what is aspirin used for?

it reduces the stickiness of platelets and reduces clot formation and lowers the risk of heart attack

what are heart transplants?

routinely performed but immunosuppressive drugs must be taken thereafter to prevent rejection. there is a shortage of human organ donors, so work is currently underway to improve self contained artificial hearts and muscle cell transplants may someday be useful

how many Americans suffer from hypertension?

about 20%

what is hypertension?

high blood pressure

when is hypertension present?

when systolic pressure is 140 or greater or diastolic pressure is 100 or greater; diastolic pressure is emphasized when medical treatment is considered

what genetic predisposition can occur for hypertension?

it occurs in those who have a gene that codes for angiotensinogen, a powerful vasoconstrictor