Complete and revised notes from lectures original lecture notes that have been made more concise and descriptive, according to the learning objectives described for exams.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease
2. Pathology of atherosclerosis
3. Major risk factors
4. Interaction between risk factors + arterial wall
5. Therapies + strategies for prevention
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
- 30% of deaths in UK are cardiovascular deaths
o 70,000
- 70% of those deaths are from myocardial infarction
- Underlying cause of myocardial infarction is usually atherosclerosis
- Twice as many women die from myocardial infarction as they do from breast cancer
PATHOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS:
- Build-up of cholesterols in the subendothelial space forms atherosclerotic plaques
- LDL cholesterols in bloodstream are absorbed by the endothelial tissue in the vessel
wall
- Oxidants in the vascular tissue in vessel wall oxidise the LDL cholesterols
- Cells respond to oxidised LDL cholesterols by increasing monocyte adhesion, foam
cell formation, cytotoxicity + vascular dysfunction
- Oxidised LDL cholesterols + responses to oxidised LDL cholesterols atherosclerotic
lesions/plaques
- Presence of plaques reduces lumen size
o Increases blood pressure
- If/when plaques rupture formation of thrombus
- Thrombus blocks blood + oxygen flow to and through the heart myocardial
necrosis
- Myocardial necrosis myocardial infarction/ischaemia heart attack death
- Early plaques (atheroma) can become stabilised plaques
o Thick fibrous cap between the small atheroma and lumen
- Can become vulnerable plaques
o Thin fibrous cap between the large atheroma and lumen
o Contains many inflammatory cells
- Ruptured plaques leak cholesterol + pro-inflammatory cytokines/neutrophils into the
vessel
o Cytokines are produced by immune cells, endothelial cells, adipocytes +
epithelial cells
- Platelets in the blood identify the collagen in the subendothelial tissue + aggregate
thrombus
- Ruptured + non-ruptured plaques are both bad because lumen is still tightened
- Presence of reactive oxidative stress (ROS) leads to pro-oxidant release
- Redox imbalances lead to molecular inflammation that causes physical + pathological
aging
Maternal Diet
Respiratory Aging
Diabetes and Aging
Brain Aging
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller sadiecopperthwaite. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.56. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
