...Pathophysiological Processes: Coronary Artery Disease Andriy Melnychenko Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 283: Pathophysiology June 9, 2018 Pathophysiological Processes: Coronary Artery Disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease (CHD), is the most common type of heart disease and is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. CAD is responsible for around one – third of all deaths (Chen, M. A. 2015). CAD causes the coronary arteries to narrow and harden. Coronary arteries are the blood vessels of the heart. They are responsible for oxygenation of the heart and supplying it with blood. The biggest blood vessels of the heart are the right and left coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis, a plaque that forms fat deposits...
Words: 1633 - Pages: 7
...Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that not only affects the cardiovascular system, but the entire vascular system as well possibly affecting the renal system. Atherosclerosis slows the flow of blood and oxygen through an artery, because of the buildup of plaque and fat clog the vessel. Atherosclerosis comes from the Greek words, Athero means porridge like deposits and Sclerosis means hardening of tissues. So with the fatty deposits and the narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels, Atherosclerosis is a major cause of heart attack and stroke. The process of fat and plaque development is the same no matter what a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, or geographic location is. This paper will describe the disease state, as well as the dietary needs for a person with Atherosclerosis, what dietary limitations are needed for a person with Atherosclerosis, and the proper educational tools for teaching a person with Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops over the course of a person’s life and can begin as early your teenage years. Plaques and fat deposits can begin to develop in childhood. “Small cholesterol plaques in the coronary arteries, which feed the heart its vital blood supply, can be found in more than 15 percent of “normal” American teenagers and in 85 percent of people over the age of 50.” (Samaan MD, 2012). An actual cause of the disease is not known, however it is believed that, “damage or injury to the inner layer of the artery”, (Clinic, 2012). One of the causes of Atherosclerosis...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
...Coronary Artery Disease. Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis (sometimes called “hardening” or “clogging” of the arteries) is the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits (called plaques) on the inner walls of the arteries. These plaques can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle by physically clogging the artery or by causing abnormal artery tone and function. Without an adequate blood supply, the heart becomes starved of oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to work properly. This can cause chest pain called angina. If blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle is cut off entirely, or if the energy demands of the heart become much greater than its blood supply, a heart attack (injury to the heart muscle) may occur. Your coronary arteries are shaped like hollow tubes through which blood can flow freely. The muscular walls of the coronary arteries are normally smooth and elastic and are lined with a layer of cells called the endothelium. The endothelium provides a physical barrier between the blood stream and the coronary artery walls, while regulating the function of the artery by releasing chemical signals in response to various stimuli. Coronary artery disease starts when you are very young. Before your teen years, the blood vessel walls begin to show streaks of fat. As you get older, the fat builds up, causing slight injury to your blood vessel walls. Other substances traveling...
Words: 3334 - Pages: 14
...disease is a wide-ranging term referring to various problems that affect the heart. The various heart problems include heart infections, diseases of the blood vessels (coronary artery disease), heart defects a person is born with (congenital heart defects) and heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias). The most frequent condition coronary artery disease, which accounts for 30% of all deaths, is caused by blockages in the blood vessels causing the vessels to narrow and limit the nutrients needed to feed the heart. The cholesterol containing substance that blocks blood vessels is called arterial plaque which forms on the inner walls of arteries. A clogged artery greatly increases the possibility of a heart attack and stroke. Heart disease is the primary cause of death and most people are not diagnosed with coronary artery disease until after condition deteriorates to the point of a heart attack or stroke. The symptoms of coronary artery disease include chest pain or discomfort, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting, nausea, sweating or “cold sweats,” and rapid or irregular heartbeats knowing these symptoms can be the difference between life and death. There are many risk factors associated with heart disease. Some of which are a person’s age, family history, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, smoking, high blood cholesterol, and stress. As a person grows older years of plaque build-up will narrow arteries. A close relative with heart disease at a young age will increase...
Words: 660 - Pages: 3
...there’s an area of your heart muscle that does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. Angina is a symptom of heart problem, usually a symptom of coronary heart disease this only happens to adults, how it works is a substance called plaque builds up on the inner walls of coronary arteries, these are the arteries that carry rich oxygen blood to your heart. Angina pain is similar to the asthma pain, but in this case the pain can also occur in your shoulders, arms, jaw, neck and even back. What system does it affect & what causes it? Angina is affected by the cardiovascular system. Angina is caused by the result of underlying coronary artery disease the arteries that supply the heart with blood rich blood, when the cholesterol aggregates on the artery wall and the hard plaque form the artery narrows. It is very difficult for the oxygen rich blood to reach the heart muscle as these arteries will then become more narrower, in addition the damage to the arteries from such as smoking and high levels fat or sugar in the blood can cause plaque to build up where the arteries are damaged, these narrow the arteries or may break off and form blood clots that block the arteries. Types of Angina? * Stable Angina occurs when the heart is working harder and faster than usual. Angina is a painful condition but if a person takes angina medication or rest’s for a bit then the pain will go. The stable angina has a regular pattern which refers to how often the angina occurs for, usually this...
Words: 1867 - Pages: 8
...Page 7 1. Introduction Lifestyle diseases are health problems that are brought about because of the lifestyle choices or the way a person lives. Lifestyle diseases can be prevented by altering the food you eat or the things you choose to do. Doing something as simple as walking to school instead of riding a car can influence your health. Heart disease is a disease that affects the function of the heart and impairs the normal functioning. It affects around 1.4 million Australians and kills 59 Australians each day; estimating one Australian every 24 minutes. Heart disease is caused by many risk factors that can be prevented. Shown by the graph below, in 2011 to 2012, the number of people who has heart disease increased with age. More than quarter of all Australians aged 75 years old and over, has heart disease. The graph also shows that heart disease is more common amongst men than in women. Coronary artery disease also known as CAD is one of the most common cause of heart disease. Coronary artery heart disease is when the artery that supplies the heart with blood is blocked by a fatty plaque. The way you live is influenced by your beliefs, values and attitudes....
Words: 2259 - Pages: 10
...In this unit I will cover physiological disorders. Physiological disorders can be defined as a fault within the body as organs or systems causing illness, it is a physical disorder that prevents the body from functioning normally. The two different physiological disorders I will be talking about are Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Diabetes type 2. Coronary heart disease (CHD): Causes of CHD: Coronary heart disease is usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries around the heart. The fatty deposit is called atheroma, which are made up of cholesterol and other waste substances. The build-up of atheroma on the walls of the coronary arteries makes the arteries narrower and limits the flow of blood to the heart. This...
Words: 2470 - Pages: 10
...saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, and does not have enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium, and fiber. Such diet contributes to some of the leading causes of death and increases...
Words: 1029 - Pages: 5
...disease where the arteries of the body can become blocked or hardened by Atheroma or plaques (fatty substances) that form inside the artery. These plaques reduce blood flow. Due to the blood flow being restricted, damage can occur to the vessels as blood pressure is increased to force blood into these narrowed arteries and also due to the insufficient amounts of blood reaching certain parts of the body which lack in oxygen. A blood clot can be formed when a plaque is ruptured, and if a blood clot forms in a blood vessel leading to the brain or heart, this could cause a patient to have a stroke or heart attack. {1} Having atherosclerosis means that there is a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These diseases affect the flow of blood. Heart attacks and strokes are an effect of cardiovascular disease {1}. The main focus of this report is to explore the idea of whether ACE should be the main treatment for atherosclerosis and what other treatments are available which could prove to be more effective. Treating Atherosclerosis...
Words: 2189 - Pages: 9
...A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped. This happens when one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle is blocked by an obstruction. This blockage can be due to a condition called atherosclerosis (a buildup of fatty like substance along the wall of the artery), a blood clot or a coronary vessel spasm along with a total obstruction. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart stops, that area of the heart will no longer receive the oxygen or nutrients needed to carry out its function and will die. If it is a very small part of the heart involved, it will be able to work without it. If a large portion is damaged, irreversible damage will happen which can lead to death. Damage to the heart muscle may be so severe that it may cause abnormal heart rhythm, called arrhythmias. Most people who are of a myocardial infraction or a heart attack do so within a few hours due to a type of arrhythmia. The heart attack victim will complain of pressure, discomfort or a squeezing sensation in the center of the chest. There may be pain radiating to the arms or the neck. There may also be shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and or indigestion. The pain that occurs is the result of heart tissue ischemia (decreased blood supply). The area that is not receiving enough blood is literally crying out for help. When a person complains of any of the symptoms mentioned, they should be transported...
Words: 4341 - Pages: 18
...happens to middle aged men and “it’s a disorder in which scar tissue, called a plaque, forms in the penis— the male organ used for urination and sex. The plaque builds up inside the tissues of a thick, elastic membrane called the tunica albuginea.” (Melman M.D., 2014) Researchers have done many studies but are unable to identify the main cause of this disease; they do believe it occurs when a male has abrupt trauma to his penis, hitting or bend to his penis. Including if a male has any sexual transmitted disease or been diagnosed with Erectile Dysfunction (ED), or it could be hereditary in the male’s...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
...Blood Viscosity Earlier, More Accurate Prediction of Cardiovascular Event Risk Pushpa Larsen, ND [pic]Ralph Holsworth, DO, recently shared a story with me about a patient he had in Colorado many years ago. He was an intern in a Denver hospital when he admitted a patient diagnosed as having a blood clot in his leg. Dr Holsworth started him on low-molecular-weight heparin subcutaneous injections concurrently with warfarin sodium. He worked the patient up for congenital thrombophilias, cancer, hypothyroidism, and other conditions, and consulted with hematology-oncology on the case. When the patient’s prothrombin time–international normalized ratio exceeded 2.0, Dr Holsworth was instructed by hematology-oncology to discharge the patient. A few minutes later, Dr Holsworth’s pager buzzed. His patient had just collapsed in the parking lot. He rushed down to the emergency department, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was in progress and assisted in the code. The patient was pronounced dead after several attempts at resuscitation. A mandatory autopsy revealed that the patient had a major pulmonary embolism, resulting in his sudden death. It was not until several years later that Dr Holsworth learned of the role of whole blood viscosity (WBV) in the formation of thrombi. Dr Holsworth recalled that his aforementioned patient had been discharged with normal vital signs and laboratory test results that provided no indication of the evolving danger. Dr Holsworth later became one...
Words: 1928 - Pages: 8
...would if they knew how important oral health really is and how a healthy mouth affects the rest of the body. In a recent interview, dental hygienist Artina Coon said, “In a nutshell, the mouth is a window to the rest of the body. It can tell you if there is something wrong with your body and vice-versa;...
Words: 1855 - Pages: 8
...cholesterol can get deposited in the arteries, which can lead to health complications. HDL is regarded as “good” cholesterol because it travels throughout the body and collects any excess cholesterol it finds and returns it to the liver, where it can be broken down and then used to synthesise bile salts. Although free cholesterol is transported via lipoproteins, it is restricted to the outer surface of the molecule. Alternatively, cholesterol can be esterified to cholesteryl esters, which can be compacted into the inner part of the lipoprotein, which allows for more efficient transport of cholesterol. This conversion of cholesterol to cholesteryl esters is carried out by enzymes that vary depending on where in the body the esterification is occurring. Cholesteryl esters are not a replacement for free cholesterol in cell membranes and they cannot be used as a precursor for bile salts or steroid hormones, their purpose is purely transportation. What are the health risks associated with high cholesterol? In cases where there is too much LDL present in the bloodstream, cholesterol or “plaque’’ can build up on the walls of the arteries, causing a condition known as atherosclerosis. This build-up causes restricted blood flow and can have very serious health implications such as a heart attack or stroke. With time, the plaque in the arteries can either solidify or rupture. If the plaque hardens, it results in a narrowing of the coronary arteries, which supply the heart itself...
Words: 2118 - Pages: 9
...Patient Education Plan By: Leticia M. Kozbial-Brown NUR/427 Introduction: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death and illness in the United States. A number of conditions result from CAD, these include angina, congestive heart failure myocardial infarct, and sudden cardiac death. CAD occurs when the blood vessels providing blood to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked. Arteries lose some of their elasticity as we age. The lumens of the arteries become narrowed from either fatty fibrous plaques or calcium plaque deposits. If there is mild restriction in blood flow, there may be no noticeable symptoms at rest. Symptoms such as chest pressure may occur with increased activity or stress indicating that the heart is having difficulty receiving adequate blood flow. Other symptoms include heartburn, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, or diaphoresis. When the blood flow is significantly reduced, severe symptoms , such as angina pectoris, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction or heart failure may occur. “Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD and is linked to many risk factors, primarily elevated serum cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure, and cigarette smoking. Other risk factors include heredity, obesity, lack of physical activity, stress and diabetes mellitus.” (Sommers, 2011) Of the 500,000 deaths annually from CAD, approximately 160,000 occur before age 65. Over half of these deaths occur...
Words: 1373 - Pages: 6