5. What are the functions of the cardiovascular system?
Cardiovascular system is represented by a system of vessels that convey blood to and from tissues throughout the body, bringing nutrients and oxygen and removing wastes and carbon dioxide. Cardiovascular system consists of heart and blood vessels.
The vessels carrying blood away from the heart are arteries, which are divided into arterioles, which branch into capillaries.The capillaries then emerge from the cellular environment and form venules, which form veins.
6. What is ischemic heart disease? What types of it do you know? What factors may cause it? What are the symptoms and possible complications? Treatment.
Ischemic heart disease is a disease characterized by ischemia (reduced blood supply) of the heart muscle.
There two types of IHD: stable (symptoms appear at predictable level of exertion and can be managed by the patient) and unstable (symptoms appear at unpredictable level of exertion and are poorly managed by the patient; new symptoms may appear or angina may worsen). Symptoms of stable IHD include angina (chest pain) and decreased exercise tolerance. Symptoms of unstable IHD include chest pain at the rest or rapidly worsening angina. +shortness of breath, arrhythmia, weakness, anxiety, Nausea and vomiting, Heart palpitations, Swelling in the legs and feet and abdomen, Difficulty sleeping, Cough caused by fluid in the lungs.
The main causes of IHD are atherosclerosis, thrombosis, embolism, hypotension, heart failure, renal failure. Its risk increases with age, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension and genetic predisposition.
The main complications of IHD include cardiac insufficiency, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, ventricular hypertrophy, acute coronary syndrome.
Treatment: depending on symptoms and risk, it can be with medication which includes aspirin (to prevent blood clotting), beta-blockers (to reduce heart rate), statins (to reduce level of LDL), nitroglycerin (to dilate coronary arteries). Diuretics to rid the body of excess fluid, which reduces the amount of blood that needs to be pumped, leading to reduced blood pressure and less work for the heart muscle
Sometimes surgical treatment may be needed such as percutaneous coronary transluminal angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery.
8. What is acute myocardial infarction? Describe its pathogenesis.
Myocardial infarction commonly known as a heart attack, is an interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die.
The heart attack happens when blood flow apart of the heart muscle is blocked. It is harmful because the heart muscle is no longer getting oxygen from the blood. Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot in one of the coronary arteries. Occasionally a heart attack can be caused by a spasm of coronary artery - the blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. The artery's lining becomes hardened,stiffened and swollen with all sorts of gunge-including calcium deposits, fatty deposits, and abnormal inflammatory cells - to form a plague that protrude into the channel of an artery and the blood flow to the muscle is decreased. The heart may not be able to pump the blood very well. This can cause a chest, jaw, neck or back pain, shortness of breath.
The main causes of myocardial infarction include: atherosclerosis of coronary artery, aneurism, rupture of aorta, hyper or hypotension, bacterial infection, anemia, stenosis. The risk factors include: previous cardiovascular disease, older age, tobacco smoking, high blood levels of lipids and low level of high density lipoproteins, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, living in polluted areas.
9. What are patients’ complains during the attack? What are the treatment options for myocardial infarction?
The main symptoms of myocardial infarction are: chest pain, which is described as a sensation of tightness, pressure; shortness of breath; diaphoresis and fatigue; weakness; lightheadedness; fainting; fear of death, nausea and vomiting; palpitations and sometimes loss of consciousness.
Treatment: The aim of treatment is to save as much myocardium as possible.
First aid of myocardial infarction includes: oxygen, painkillers, aspirin, and nitroglycerin.
Depending on clinical picture further treatment may include: Oxygen, ACE-inhibitors, Beta-blockers to reduce heart rate, aspirin or heparin to prevent blood clotting, morphine or other painkillers to relieve pain, nitroglycerin to dilate coronary arteries, statins to reduce level of LDL.
Depending on the condition surgery may be needed.
10. What is hypertension, its types, possible causes, symptoms, treatment and complications?
Hypertension - it is a high blood pressure in the arteries. It can be divided into two types: systolic and diastolic. This means the systolic reading (the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body) is over 140 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) or the diastolic reading (as the heart relaxes and refills with blood) is over 90 mmHg. The main causes of hypertension include: physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet and fatty food, alcohol and tobacco use, kidney disease, cancer, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperthyroidism. Risk factors include: age, race, obesity and diabetes, lifestyle, family history and chronic stress. Symptoms: most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. A few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage. For treatment the hypertension your doctor may recommend you eat a healthy diet with less salt, exercise regularly, quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight. But sometimes lifestyle changes aren't enough. Medications include: thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, renin inhibitors, vasodilators. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to: heart attack or stroke, aneurism, heart failure, narrowed blood vessels, metabolic syndrome, trouble with memory or understanding.
11. What is atherosclerosis? Speak on its causes and pathogenesis. Clinical pattern, prevention, treatment. What can it lead to?
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, mainly due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low-density lipoproteins without adequate removal of fats by high-density lipoproteins.
The way of developing:
LDL oxidized by free radicals;
Oxidized LDL comes in contact with an artery wall and damages it;
the body’s immune system sends specialized white blood cells to absorb the oxidized LDL forming foam cells;
White blood cells are not able to process the oxidized-LDL and rupture depositing a great amount of oxidized cholesterol into the artery wall;
the cholesterol plaque causes the muscle cells to enlarge and form a hard fibrous cover;
this cover causes a narrowing of the artery, reduces blood flow and increases blood pressure.
At the higher risk of atherosclerosis are people, who has obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, congenital stenosis, genetic predisposition and who is smoking, drinking alcohol and eating fatty food.
Atherosclerosis has different treatment and prevention according to its type. Atherosclerosis in the ocular arteries has symptoms such as poor-eye-sight, which can lead to blindness. Atherosclerosis in arteries of extremities can cause fever, sweating, pains, cold extremities, which can lead to gangrene. Atherosclerosis in arteries of the brain can cause mental difficulties and lead to stroke or necrosis of the brain's tissues. Atherosclerosis in arteries of kidneys can cause intoxication, anuria, oliguria, fatigue, sugaruria, pains in the back, fever, general malaise, mental difficulties, which can lead to kidney failure or renal coma. Treatment is divided into two types: pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical. The last one includes life style changes, diet, cessation of smoking, regular exercises. Pharmaceutical includes thrombolitic therapy, aspirin, vitamins, bypass surgery and angioplasty.
Complications: hypertension, myocardial infarction, IHD, Stroke, Necrosis of organs.