CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

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?

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