Vascular System & Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Factors

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1st part of final

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33 Terms

1
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What conditions are encompassed by cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

Heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.

2
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Does total White Blood Cell (WBC) count change with age?

No, total WBC count remains unchanged with age.

3
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What happens to immune function with aging if total WBC count doesn’t change?

Certain WBCs involved in immunity decrease, increasing susceptibility to illness.

4
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What age-related changes occur in blood volume and red blood cells?

Total body water decreases (reducing blood volume), and RBC production declines, increasing risk of anemia.

5
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What are the traditional risk factors for CVD?

Age, genetics, high blood pressure, high LDL/low HDL, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and obesity.

6
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How much of acute cardiovascular events can be explained by traditional risk factors?

About 50%.

7
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What are circulating angiogenic cells (CACs), and how do they relate to CVD risk?

More CACs are linked to lower Framingham risk and better vascular function; their number and mobilization decrease with age.

8
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What is CIMT and what does it measure?

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness measures the thickness of the inner carotid artery layers and predicts future cardiovascular events.

9
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How is CIMT associated with traditional risk factors in men and women?

Highly correlated in men; in women, improves risk prediction by ~8%.

10
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What causes vascular stiffening in older adults?

Thickening of vessel walls, increased collagen, decreased elastin, and increased sympathetic tone.

11
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How does estrogen loss affect CVD risk in women?

Estrogen decline post-menopause impairs vascular function and increases CVD risk.

12
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What is the relationship between menopause and flow-mediated dilation (FMD%)?

Longer time since menopause correlates with reduced FMD%, indicating endothelial dysfunction.

13
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How does exercise affect vascular aging?

It reduces arterial stiffening and endothelial dysfunction, preserving vasodilator signaling.

14
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Does aerobic exercise (AEX) improve FMD in older adults?

Yes in older males, but not consistently in postmenopausal females without estrogen supplementation.

15
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What exercise type may better preserve vascular health in older women?

Resistance training (RT).

16
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How does sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity affect older women?

Greater SNS activity increases peripheral resistance and contributes to hypertension.

17
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What is the average BP reduction with low-to-moderate exercise training?

Approximately 10 mmHg reduction in systolic and diastolic BP.

18
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Which arteries are most affected by age-related vascular stiffening?

Large conduit arteries like the aorta and carotid.

19
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What connective tissue changes occur in aging arteries?

Increased collagen and decreased elastin content.

20
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What is a common characteristic of all blood vessels?

Presence of endothelium.

21
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What vasodilator is produced by the endothelium?

Nitric Oxide (NO).

22
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How does exercise affect nitric oxide production?

Increases NO production, enhancing endothelial function.

23
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How quickly can FMD improve with exercise?

As quickly as 4–10 days, depending on the type of training and population.

24
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What are AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products), and how do they affect arteries?

AGEs promote collagen cross-linking, contributing to arterial stiffening in older adults.

25
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What is Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), and what does it indicate?

PWV is a measure of arterial stiffness; it increases linearly with age.

26
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Which estrogen hormone primarily decreases during menopause?

Estradiol.

27
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Estradiol's role in menopause initiation

A decrease in estradiol output from the ovaries initiates menopause in women. Estradiol is a type of endogenous sex hormone whose withdrawal throughout menopause is commonly attributed to the atypical CVD progression observed in women

28
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Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV)

PWV is considered the gold standard for measuring arterial stiffness. It measures the time for the arterial pulse to travel from the carotid artery to the femoral artery.

29
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Greater SNS activity increases peripheral resistance and contributes to hypertension.

AGEs are mentioned as part of collagen cross-linking. Structural changes in elastin and collagen, along with collagen cross-linking/AGEs, are physiological mechanisms contributing to arterial stiffening. Vascular stiffening involves the thickening of structural material making up the vessel, including connective tissue cells.

30
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: What does vascular remodeling involve in aging?

Loss of elastin (reducing elasticity) and replacement with stiffer collagen, contributing to arterial stiffness.

31
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What is the function of elastin and collagen in blood vessels?

Elastin allows stretch and recoil; collagen provides structure but increases stiffness with age.

32
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What are circulating angiogenic cells (CACs), and how do they change with age?

CACs help repair the endothelium; they decline with age, reducing blood vessel repair ability and increasing CVD risk.

33
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Where in the carotid artery does plaque tend to accumulate?

At the carotid bulb, where the artery bifurcates (splits into two branches).