Abi Starr 29/11/2014
Heart research
Heart disease
1. Know thoroughly what is meant by:
a) Atheroma
An atheroma is a fatty deposit that builds up within an artery wall. Made of
accumulations of white blood cells that have taken up LDLs. They enlarge to form an
atheromatous plaque.
b) Thrombosis
When an atheroma breaks through the endothelium of the blood vessel, it forms a
rough surface that interrupts the smooth flow of blood. This can cause blood clots which
cut off the supply of oxygen to parts of the body beyond the clot, causing the tissue to
die.
c) Aneurysm
When an atheroma leads to the formation of a thrombus, this also weakens the walls of
the artery. Weakened points in the artery swell to form a balloon- like, blood filled
structure, known as an aneurysm. They often burst, which leads to loss of blood to the
area of the body served by the artery.
d) Myocardial infarction
More commonly known as a heart attack, myocardial infarctions refer to a reduced
supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. It’s caused by a blockage of the coronary artery. If
the blockage occurs close to the junction of the coronary artery and the aorta, the heart
will stop beating because its blood supply is completely cut off. If the blockage occurs
further down the coronary artery, the damage will not be as severe because a smaller
area of the heart is starved of blood.
2. Explain how atheromas increase the risk of Thrombosis and Aneurysms
Atheromas increase the risk of Thrombosis by breaking through the lining (endothelium) of
the artery which disrupts the smooth flow of blood. This can cause a blood clot which is
known as a thrombus which in turn causes Thrombosis. Atheromas that form thromboses
increase the risk of Aneurysms by weakening the artery walls, which allows the weakened
points to swell into an Aneurysm.
3. Explain how four risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and poor diet)
affect your chances of getting heart disease
Smoking: Two main parts of cigarette smoke contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.
These are Carbon Monoxide and Nicotine. Carbon Monoxide binds easily and irreversibly to
haemoglobin in red blood cells. This forms carboxyhaemoglobin, which reduces the ability of
the blood to carry oxygen. This means that the heart needs to work harder to supply the
tissues with the same amount of blood; this increases the blood pressure, which raises the
chances of Coronary heart disease and strokes. Also, because the heart muscle also has a
reduced supply of oxygen, this can cause angina (chest pain) and myocardial infarction in
~1~
Heart research
Heart disease
1. Know thoroughly what is meant by:
a) Atheroma
An atheroma is a fatty deposit that builds up within an artery wall. Made of
accumulations of white blood cells that have taken up LDLs. They enlarge to form an
atheromatous plaque.
b) Thrombosis
When an atheroma breaks through the endothelium of the blood vessel, it forms a
rough surface that interrupts the smooth flow of blood. This can cause blood clots which
cut off the supply of oxygen to parts of the body beyond the clot, causing the tissue to
die.
c) Aneurysm
When an atheroma leads to the formation of a thrombus, this also weakens the walls of
the artery. Weakened points in the artery swell to form a balloon- like, blood filled
structure, known as an aneurysm. They often burst, which leads to loss of blood to the
area of the body served by the artery.
d) Myocardial infarction
More commonly known as a heart attack, myocardial infarctions refer to a reduced
supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. It’s caused by a blockage of the coronary artery. If
the blockage occurs close to the junction of the coronary artery and the aorta, the heart
will stop beating because its blood supply is completely cut off. If the blockage occurs
further down the coronary artery, the damage will not be as severe because a smaller
area of the heart is starved of blood.
2. Explain how atheromas increase the risk of Thrombosis and Aneurysms
Atheromas increase the risk of Thrombosis by breaking through the lining (endothelium) of
the artery which disrupts the smooth flow of blood. This can cause a blood clot which is
known as a thrombus which in turn causes Thrombosis. Atheromas that form thromboses
increase the risk of Aneurysms by weakening the artery walls, which allows the weakened
points to swell into an Aneurysm.
3. Explain how four risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and poor diet)
affect your chances of getting heart disease
Smoking: Two main parts of cigarette smoke contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.
These are Carbon Monoxide and Nicotine. Carbon Monoxide binds easily and irreversibly to
haemoglobin in red blood cells. This forms carboxyhaemoglobin, which reduces the ability of
the blood to carry oxygen. This means that the heart needs to work harder to supply the
tissues with the same amount of blood; this increases the blood pressure, which raises the
chances of Coronary heart disease and strokes. Also, because the heart muscle also has a
reduced supply of oxygen, this can cause angina (chest pain) and myocardial infarction in
~1~
