Atherosclerosis - Answers "Hardening of the arteries"
A progressive disease characterized by formation of plaque in the intimal lining of medium and large
arteries, including the aorta and its branches, the coronary arteries, and large vessels that supply the
brain
Atherosclerosis appears to begin with - Answers Chronic injury or inflammation to the endothelial cells
that line the blood vessels
Sources of chronic injury and inflammation to endothelial cells lining the blood vessels - Answers
Hypertension, smoking, viruses, high blood levels of cholesterol and glucose
Flat, thick, yellow lesions that can progressively thicken, enlarge, and protrude into the lumen of the
artery - Answers Fatty streaks
As fatty streaks mature over time, they begin to develop into - Answers Fibrous atheromatous plaque
* this is the basic lesion associated with atherosclerosis
A narrowing of the internal space or lumen of a coronary artery - Answers Coronary artery disease (CAD)
Coronary artery disease is most typically caused by - Answers Atherosclerotic plaque formations
Two types of atherosclerotic plaques - Answers Stable plaque
Unstable plaque
Impedes blood flow to myocardial tissues and is associated with development of stable angina - Answers
Stable plaque
A predictable and less threatening type of cardiac ischemia - Answers Stable angina
__________ plaque is more ominous with a greater tendency toward rupture, platelet aggregation,
fibrin attraction, and thrombus formation in the coronary artery - Answers Unstable
____________ plaque activity can precipitate an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) - Answers Unstable
Modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease - Answers Hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, DM
type 2, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, diet
Unmodifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease - Answers Age
Male gender
DM type 1
Genetic predisposition
, Desirable total serum cholesterol value - Answers <200 mg/dL
Desirable serum LDL cholesterol value - Answers 100 to 129
*optimal = <100
Drugs to reduce serum cholesterol and LDL levels - Answers HMG Co-enzyme inhibitors, or statins:
lovastatin (Mecavor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin
(Lipitor), and rosuvastatin (Crestor)
Clinical presentation of impaired tissue perfusion - Answers Angina pectoris
Diaphoresis
Shortness of breath
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Fatigue
Chest pain that is predictable and occurs with physical activity - Answers Stable angina
Chest pain that occurs at rest and is not related to physical activity or heart rate - Answers Variant
angina (Prinzmetal's angina)
Chest pain that is not predictable. It occurs with minimal activity, and it occurs with increased frequency
and severity - Answers Unstable angina
________ angina requires immediate medical attention - Answers Unstable
When assessing a patient complaining of angina symptoms, the immediate questions to consider
include: - Answers The time of onset of the pain
The activity that the patient was participating in when the pain began
The length of the anginal episodes
Patients reporting a history of exertional or resting dyspnea require close scrutiny because these
symptoms strongly correlate with - Answers Coronary artery disease (CAD)
Symptoms that are suggestive of ischemia but do not include angina are called - Answers Anginal
equivalents
These patients are more likely to experience anginal equivalents or silent ischemia - Answers Diabetics
Women