Atherosclerosis

1/22/10 8:00 AM

40 cards   |   Total Attempts: 182
  

Cards In This Set

Front Back
What is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world?
Atherosclerosis
When does atherosclerosis begin?
Early in life
What is the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis?
Inflammation plays a role in all phases of atherosclerosis- lesion initiation, lesion progression, thrombotic complications
Thrombosis
Presence or formation of a blood clot in a blood vessel
Thrombus
Blood clot
Thromboembolism, embolus
Blood clot that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream
When do symptoms of atherosclerosis usually appear?
Not until the 3rd or 4th decade in lesion progression
What are the 3 main stages of atherosclerosis?
1. Fatty streak 2. Plaque progression 3. Plaque disruption (thrombosis)
*Steps of initial stage of atherosclerosis (8) - fatty streak formation
1. Endothelial integrity is breached2. Upregulation of endothelial and leukocyte adhesion molecules, expansion of the intima3. Oxidation of LDL4. Adhesion of macrophages and diapedesis5. Recruitment of vascular smooth muscle cells into the intima 6. Proliferation of VSM cells7. Foam cells develop8. Alteration in the synthesis and degradation of ECM
In normal vessels, the intima is very thin/thick but in atherosclerosis, the initima becomes more thin/thick
Thin, thick
T/F. Atheroma is a collection of inanimate grunge in the arterial intima.
FALSE. It is highly cellular- contains intrinsic vascular cells and inflammatory cells.
Atheroma composition
1. Intrinsic vascular cells- endothelium, vascular smooth muscle, extracellular matrix2. Inflammatory cells- mast cells, macrophages, T lymphocytes
What is the primary event in atherosclerosis?
Injury to the endothelium
What 3 things occur in the initial injury to the endothelium?
1. Increased permeability (allows atherogenic lipoproteins to enter the intima)2. Increased adhesion (of the leukocytes to the endothelium)3. Decreased vasodilation (less control of hemodynamics)
Triggers for inflammation (endothelial injury) in atherogenesis
1. Oxidized lipoproteins2. Dyslipidemia3. Hypertension4. Diabetes5. Obesity6. Infection