Cardiovascular Diseases and its Pathophysiology
Cardiovascular disease accounts for the major health care problem and leading cause of death in the US. Based on the recent statistics from the CDC (2016), almost 610,000 Americans die of heart-related ailments. The prevalence of this disease is such that it dramatically increase the health care costs approximately $ 207 billion in a year (CDC, 2016).
Pathophysiological Process
In normal conditions, the heart pumps blood through the arteries and veins and follow a smooth pathway. This flow is in turn control by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (Huether, & McCance, 2012). Based on the body’s needs, heart pumps the desired amount of blood to maintain the tissue function. When this normal physiology is altered due to any heart diseases, an imbalance in supply and demand occurs in the heart. According to Huether and McCance (2012), the major pathophysiological events are due to the occlusion of major coronary arteries and resultant tissue damage (NIH, 2012). If the myocardium cannot withstand with the poor oxygen supply, a significant death of the heart muscles can occur within no time. In the acute myocardial injury, heart muscles may be deprived of oxygen for less than 3- 5 days. If this condition cannot be reversed, permanent infarct and heart failure occur and this can be fatal to the body (AHA, 2012). Myocardial Infraction Acute myocardial infarction according to Laureate Education (2012) is the cardiac event occurs in the heart muscle due to the impairment of the blood flow to one more areas of the heart. …show more content…
This occurs due to the blockage of the main arteries that supplies to the right or the left side of the heart. For instance, the left coronary artery occlusion can result in anterolateral infarction of the myocardium. If the occlusion occurs in the right coronary artery, necrosis occur the posterior aspect of the heart (McPhee & Hammer, 2010). Cascade of Events in Myocardial Infraction Acute tissue damage of the myocardium often results due to the lack of blood supply and oxygen to major vessels that supply blood to the heart (Huether & McCance, 2012). This occlusion can be precipitated by the thrombus or other occlusive plaques. Moreover, subendocardial occlusion can result due to other events like respiratory insufficiency followed by the hypoxic event. Furthermore, in rare cases, thrombus or vegetation of the heart valves and coronary spasms can result in a myocardial infarction (McPhee & Hammer, 2010). Regardless of the causative factors, the major event in myocardial necrosis is due to the low blood supply and leakage of myocardial enzymes such as troponin into the circulating blood. The risk of complete heart failure mostly depends upon the extent and the size of the infarct and the resultant necrosis. Patient Factor It is well known that the risk of myocardial infarction has a strong positive correlation with the genetic factors. …show more content…
However, for the purpose of this discussion, I would like to choose the behavioral aspects and its relationship in cardiac events. According to McPhee and Hammer (2010), about 50- 70% of the heart attacks are due to acquired conditions. However, other risk factors like behavioral and modifiable causes can lead to heart diseases. This can be related to smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. Since the genetic factors cannot be controlled, the main focus is now turning towards behavioral modifications. CDC (2016) propose that most of the heart ailments are due to obesity, lack of exercise, high cholesterol containing foods, illegal drug use, and hypertension. For instance, lack of exercise and obesity itself contribute to other secondary complications like diabetes and hypertension. Moreover, obesity and consumption of high caloric saturated fat diet predispose to high lipid levels and plaque formation. Based on the recent survey by the AHA (2016), behavioral factors like smoking, obesity and resultant diabetes and hypertension are the silent killers in a myocardial infarction. Pathological Changes related to Behavioral factors The lining of the arteries can be hardened with the fatty materials called atheroma in smoking. The major components in tobacco smoke are carbon monoxide which can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood (AHA, 2016). High levels of sugar in blood or diabetes at the same time can also deposit lipids
Cardiovascular disease accounts for the major health care problem and leading cause of death in the US. Based on the recent statistics from the CDC (2016), almost 610,000 Americans die of heart-related ailments. The prevalence of this disease is such that it dramatically increase the health care costs approximately $ 207 billion in a year (CDC, 2016).
Pathophysiological Process
In normal conditions, the heart pumps blood through the arteries and veins and follow a smooth pathway. This flow is in turn control by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (Huether, & McCance, 2012). Based on the body’s needs, heart pumps the desired amount of blood to maintain the tissue function. When this normal physiology is altered due to any heart diseases, an imbalance in supply and demand occurs in the heart. According to Huether and McCance (2012), the major pathophysiological events are due to the occlusion of major coronary arteries and resultant tissue damage (NIH, 2012). If the myocardium cannot withstand with the poor oxygen supply, a significant death of the heart muscles can occur within no time. In the acute myocardial injury, heart muscles may be deprived of oxygen for less than 3- 5 days. If this condition cannot be reversed, permanent infarct and heart failure occur and this can be fatal to the body (AHA, 2012). Myocardial Infraction Acute myocardial infarction according to Laureate Education (2012) is the cardiac event occurs in the heart muscle due to the impairment of the blood flow to one more areas of the heart. …show more content…
This occurs due to the blockage of the main arteries that supplies to the right or the left side of the heart. For instance, the left coronary artery occlusion can result in anterolateral infarction of the myocardium. If the occlusion occurs in the right coronary artery, necrosis occur the posterior aspect of the heart (McPhee & Hammer, 2010). Cascade of Events in Myocardial Infraction Acute tissue damage of the myocardium often results due to the lack of blood supply and oxygen to major vessels that supply blood to the heart (Huether & McCance, 2012). This occlusion can be precipitated by the thrombus or other occlusive plaques. Moreover, subendocardial occlusion can result due to other events like respiratory insufficiency followed by the hypoxic event. Furthermore, in rare cases, thrombus or vegetation of the heart valves and coronary spasms can result in a myocardial infarction (McPhee & Hammer, 2010). Regardless of the causative factors, the major event in myocardial necrosis is due to the low blood supply and leakage of myocardial enzymes such as troponin into the circulating blood. The risk of complete heart failure mostly depends upon the extent and the size of the infarct and the resultant necrosis. Patient Factor It is well known that the risk of myocardial infarction has a strong positive correlation with the genetic factors. …show more content…
However, for the purpose of this discussion, I would like to choose the behavioral aspects and its relationship in cardiac events. According to McPhee and Hammer (2010), about 50- 70% of the heart attacks are due to acquired conditions. However, other risk factors like behavioral and modifiable causes can lead to heart diseases. This can be related to smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. Since the genetic factors cannot be controlled, the main focus is now turning towards behavioral modifications. CDC (2016) propose that most of the heart ailments are due to obesity, lack of exercise, high cholesterol containing foods, illegal drug use, and hypertension. For instance, lack of exercise and obesity itself contribute to other secondary complications like diabetes and hypertension. Moreover, obesity and consumption of high caloric saturated fat diet predispose to high lipid levels and plaque formation. Based on the recent survey by the AHA (2016), behavioral factors like smoking, obesity and resultant diabetes and hypertension are the silent killers in a myocardial infarction. Pathological Changes related to Behavioral factors The lining of the arteries can be hardened with the fatty materials called atheroma in smoking. The major components in tobacco smoke are carbon monoxide which can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood (AHA, 2016). High levels of sugar in blood or diabetes at the same time can also deposit lipids