Stroke, Heart Attacks, and Voodoo Death - Chronic stress and cardiovascular disease

13 important questions on Stroke, Heart Attacks, and Voodoo Death - Chronic stress and cardiovascular disease

Why is it harmful for your cardiovascular system to have longterm-stress?

The cardiovascular stress-response consists of making them work harder, if you do this on a regular basis they will wear out.

What is the vicious cycle that emerges with hypertension?

When blood pressure is higher, the blood flow also increases. --> blood vessels have to work harder to regulate the blood flow --> takes more muscle, thicker muscle wall around your vessels --> more resistant to the force of blood flow --> which increases blood pressure

What does higher blood pressure do to your heart?

The blood flows harder through your heart --> causes the wall in your heart that collects the blood to grow ticker --> left ventricular hypertrophy --> higher risk of irregular heartbeat. Also this wall needs more blood than coronary arteries can supply --> higher risk of cardiac attack
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What happens with small vessels when blood pressure rises?

They get damaged by the force in which blood flows through your body

What happens when your small vessels get damaged?

- Form little craters of damage --> inflammatory response --> cells of the immune system that mediate inflammation go to the injured site.
- cells full of fatty nutrients, foam cells, for there too.
so stress makes your blood more viscous.

How does stress promote plaque formation in your arteries?

- damaged small vessels
- forming platelets (blood cell that promotes clotting)
- mobilizing energy in bloodstream (glucose, fat and bad cholesterol)

What is a good predictor of cardiovascular trouble?

Damaged, inflamed blood vessels

How can you measure the amount of inflammatory damage?

C-reactive protein (CRP). Made in the liver and is secreted in response to signal indicating an injury. Migrates to the damaged vessel where it helps amplify the cascade of inflammation.

What is useful about C-reactive protein?

It can predict cardiovascular diseases. Becoming a standard endpoint to measure general blood work in patients.

What is myocardial ischemia?

When you're coronary arteries, instead of casodialting in response of the sympathetic nervous system, vasoconstriction. Your heart needs all the oxygen and glucose, but is not receiving enough by this reflex.

What is angina pectoris?

When your chest hurts because of lack off nutrients to the heart when it needs it (myocardial ischemia caused by atherosclerosis)

What does breathing do to your automatic nerve systems?

When you inhale your sympathetic system is activated, speeding up your heart. When you exhale, the parasympathetic half turns on. Activating your vagus nerve to slow your heart beat down.

What happens if chronic stress has blunted the ability of your parasympathetic nervous system to kick the vagus nerve into action?

When you exhale your heart won't slow down and won't increase the time intervals between beats.

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