vascular disease is disease of the?
blood vessels
cardiovascular disease (CVD) is attributed to what percent of deaths in the US?
30%
how many adults have some form of disease of the heart and blood vessels?
1/3 (33%)
how many deaths from heart disease come from individuals that did not have prior symptoms?
60%
what is cardiovascular disease?
array of conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels
what are some examples of CVD?
coronary heart disease
stroke
peripheral vascular disease
congenital heart disease
rheumatic heart disease
atherosclerosis
high blood pressure (hypertension)
congestive heart failure
what is escemia?
inadequate blood flow to an organ
(tissue distraction due to lack of blood flow)
what is periphery vascular disease?
blood vessels in the periphery are compromised which affects the muscles
narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels
what is a stroke?
blood flow to the brain is compromised
the blood vessel that feeds the brain ruptures or is clogged disrupting blood flow to the brain
what is the third leading cause of death in the US?
stroke
is also the most significant contributor to mental and physical disabilities
is the incidence of CVD better or worse than it was in the 1960s?
better
1960s was the peak
what is coronary heart disease?
condition in which arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen are narrowed by fatty deposits
what is the leading cause of death in the US?
coronary heart disease (cardiac arrest)
what are the two surgeries that are performed for coronary heart disease?
coronary bypass (vessel from knee is sutured around the obstruction in the heart) - 500,00 a year
angioplasty (use a catheter from femoral to coronary artery and use a balloon to compress fat deposits) - 1 mill a year
which blood vessel is known as the widow maker? why?
left anterior descending coronary artery
because the left ventricle is the most important as it supplies blood to the body; the left ventricle is supplied by this artery and if the blood supply is cut off the person will die almost immediately
what are the medical factors that LOWER risk for CVD?
BP less than 120/80 mm/Hg
smoking less or quitting
HDL of 40 mg/dL or higher (increase by exercise)
LDL of 100 mg/dL or lower (decrease by diet)
which factor induces the most risk for coronary heart disease?
cholesterol profiles
physical activity and aerobic exercise:
increases cardiorespiratory endurance
controls BP
reduces body fat
lowers blood lipids and improves HDL
prevents/helps control diabetes
decreases low-grade inflammation
increases/maintains good heart function
what does an electrocardiogram do?
measures the hearts function/electricity
helps detect abnormalities
what are the 5 general areas of an EKG?
heart rate
heart rhythm
axis of the heart
enlargement or hypertrophy of the heart
myocardial infarction
what does the P wave represent?
atrial depolarization (contraction)
what does the QRS complex represent?
ventricular depolarization (contraction)
what does the T wave represent?
ventricular repolarization (relaxation)
what is a stress EKG?
shows the tolerance of the heart to increased physical activity
workload is increased to maximal fatigue
what is a recovery EKG?
monitors the return of the hearts activity to normal conditions
what are blood lipids?
cholesterol and triglycerides
carried in the bloodstream by protein molecules of HDLs, LDLs, VLDLs, and chylomicrons
what does cholesterol assist with?
formation of cell membranes, formation of HDL, and the making of proteins
what is cholesterol?
a waxy substance found in animal fats and oil; used in making cell membranes, as a building block for some hormones, in the fatty sheath and nerve fibers, and other substances
what are triglycerides?
fats formed by glycerol and three fatty acids; also called free fatty acids
what are very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs)?
triglyceride, cholesterol, and phospholipid-transporting molecules in the blood
what are chylomicrons?
triglyceride-transporting molecules
an abnormal cholesterol profile contributes to?
atherosclerosis (deposit of fat in the lumen of the BV) which can trigger a myocardial infarction
when you have a heart attack, what happens to the muscle in the heart?
the muscle that was affected by the heart attack dies, and is not able to “come back”
what is angina pectoris?
pain in the upper left body (a symptom of a heart attack)
when does angina pectoris occur?
when the arteries in the heart are about 75% blocked
what is atherosclerosis?
fatty/cholesterol build up in the walls (lumen) of the arteries leading to formation of plaque
when does cholesterol start to cause a problem?
when it is oxidized by free radicals
what is reverse cholesterol transport?
HDL molecules help prevent plaque from forming in the arteries by carrying the cholesterol (and LDL) to the liver where it is changed to bile and excreted
does the body manufacture cholesterol?
yes
what raises cholesterol levels?
saturated fats and trans fat
what is saturated fat and trans fat found in?
saturated fat: mostly meats and dairy products
trans fat: processed food
how are saturated fats made?
beta oxidation
what is the normal total cholesterol?
<200 mg/dL
what is the normal LDL cholesterol?
less than 100 mg/dL
what is the normal HDL cholesterol?
equal to or greater than 60 mg/dL
t/f
if you have a higher amount of HDL, that means you are at a lower risk for heart disease
true
t/f
if you have a low amount of LDL, that means you are at a high risk for heart disease
false
how can LDL be lowered?
through diet, losing body fat, taking meds, and participating in a regular exercise program
a recommendation for daily nutrition is:
low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol, and high in fiber
what makes up most of the fat in our diet?
triglycerides
where are triglycerides manufactured and what do they do?
they are manufactured in the liver and speed up plaque formation
what is the normal level of tryglycerides?
less than 150 mg/dL
t/f
if you have high triglyceride levels, you are more likely to get CVD
true
what is LDL phenotype B and what percentage of people with high levels have it?
a genetic condition in which individuals have slightly elevated triglyceride levels and low HDL levels
80% of people that have the slightly elevated levels have this genetic condition
people with LDL phenotype B are at higher risk for what?
atherosclerosis and CHD
what is homocysteine?
an amino acid that, when allowed to accumulate in the blood, may lead to plaque formation and blockage of arteries
is homocysteine made in the body? what is it converted from?
manufactured in the body
converted from cysteine
what individuals typically have high homocysteine?
diabetics
when you have high homocysteine levels, you are more prone to?
thrombosis (clot formation)
what can help clear homocysteine from the blood?
folate and vitamin B6
5 servings of fruits and veggies daily can provide enough of these
inflammation deep in the body can trigger?
heart attacks
what is C-reactive protein (CRP)?
it is a marker of elevated inflammation that can show an increased risk for cardiovascular events
when someone could be having a heart attack, what levels should you look at?
c-reactive protein (high levels)
what should the level of CRP be normally?
less than 1
what is metabolic syndrome?
an array of metabolic abnormalities that contribute to development of atherosclerosis triggered by insulin resistance
metabolic syndrome is characterized by?
low HDL cholesterol
high triglycerides
high blood pressure
increased blood clotting mechanisms
what is blood pressure?
the force exerted against the walls of the blood vessels by blood
what is the ideal blood pressure?
120/80
what is hypertension?
a BP above 140/90
chronically elevated blood pressure
what is considered prehypertension?
120/80 to 139/89
hypertension is known as the ____. why?
silent killer
because the epithelial lining of the arteries
hypertension is a risk factor for?
CHD
congestive heart failure
stroke
kidney failure
osteoporosis
what percentage of hypertension has no definite cause and what is it called?
90%
essential/primary hypertension
IT IS TREATABLE
how can you treat essential hypertension?
aerobic exercise and weight reduction
low salt/fat, high potassium/calcium
lower alcohol and caffeine intake
smoking cessation
stress management
antihypertensive medication
the remaining 10% of hypertension is caused by?
pathological conditions (typically of the kidneys, adrenal glands, or aortic artery)
the cause has to be treated before the BP is corrected
which body type increases the risk for CVD?
gynoid (people that store fat in the abdominal area)
visceral body fat increases the risk even more that abdominal fat
what is the largest preventable cause of illness and premature death in the US?
smoking
smoking is linked to…
CVD, cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, and peptic ulcers
what percentage of death is attributable to smoking?
20%
the human body responds to stress by releasing?
catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine)
catecholamines are what type of hormones?
fight or flight that increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels
when catecholamines remain elevated from chronic stress, this causes …
hypertension leading to heart damage
what is interleukin-6
a marker for arterial inflammation
incidence of heart disease increases with age because…
less physical activity
poor nutrition (absorption and digestion)
stiffer blood vessel walls
risk factors are reversible and preventable through
aspirin therapy
healthy habits
willpower and commitment