MEDT230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Pus, Infective Endocarditis, Ascending Aorta

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Course: MEDT230
• Professor: Jarrett Earl

Document Summary

Cardiovascular disease: most common cause of death in the united states. Defined as disease affecting the heart and blood vessels. Risk of suffering is increased by factors including hbp, obesity, smoking, psychological stress, and lack of exercise: arteriosclerosis. Most common cause of cardiovascular death: coronary artery disease (cad) Develops when your coronary arteries the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen, and nutrients become damaged or diseased. Cholesterol-containing deposits (plaques) on the arteries are usually to blame. Coronary artery spasm: acute myocardial infarction occurs immediately prior to sudden collapse and death. At autopsy, no infarct and coronary arteries are found to be patent, without significant atherosclerosis or congenital anomalies. Death is believed to be due to transitory coronary artery spasm. In individuals over the age of 35, coronary atherosclerosis is the most common cause of death in exercise related deaths: in younger individuals, the most frequent causes are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries.