Cardiovascular and Cancer Health Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the pathway of deoxygenated blood through the heart?

Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium, moves to the right ventricle, and is pumped to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.

What differentiates systolic blood pressure from diastolic blood pressure?

Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure during heart contractions, while diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure during heart relaxation.

How does oxygenated blood return to the heart after being in the lungs?

Oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium of the heart.

What role does the left ventricle play in the heart?

The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood through the aorta to all body parts. Signup and view all the answers

What are the blood pressure readings for the 'Normal' classification?

Normal blood pressure is less than $120$ mmHg systolic and less than $80$ mmHg diastolic. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of American adults are affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

More than one in every three American adults, or approximately 34%. Signup and view all the answers

List two major types of cardiovascular disease.

Ischemic heart disease and stroke. Signup and view all the answers

Why is understanding the anatomy and physiology of the heart important?

It is essential for maintaining healthy heart function and for diagnosing cardiovascular issues. Signup and view all the answers

What are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

Examples include high blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of health problems does cancer significantly impact in terms of morbidity and mortality?

Cancer significantly impacts morbidity and mortality compared to other major health problems, such as heart disease. Signup and view all the answers

Identify a key preventable risk factor for cancer.

Tobacco use. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common method used for cancer detection?

Screening tests like mammograms for breast cancer or colonoscopies for colorectal cancer. Signup and view all the answers

Discuss a current challenge in cancer treatment.

The rise of drug resistance in cancer therapies is a significant challenge. Signup and view all the answers

What defines ideal cardiovascular health (ICH)?

ICH is defined as the absence of clinical indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) along with specific healthy behaviors and health factor metrics. Signup and view all the answers

List three behaviors that contribute to ideal cardiovascular health.

Behaviors include not smoking, sustaining sufficient physical activity, and maintaining a healthy diet. Signup and view all the answers

Which health factors are assessed to determine ideal cardiovascular health?

Health factors include optimal total cholesterol, optimal blood pressure, and optimal fasting blood glucose without medication. Signup and view all the answers

What are the main components of the cardiovascular system?

The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, arterioles, veins, venules, and capillaries. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the function of the atria and ventricles in the heart.

Atria are the upper chambers that receive blood, while ventricles are the lower chambers that pump blood out of the heart. Signup and view all the answers

How do arteries and veins differ in their function?

Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart, while veins return deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of capillaries in the cardiovascular system?

Capillaries facilitate the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products between blood and body cells. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the sinoatrial (SA) node in the heart?

The SA node acts as a natural pacemaker, generating electric pulses that regulate heartbeats. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses heart and blood vessel illnesses, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and congenital issues.
Over one-third of US adults have one or more CVD types.
CVD, particularly ischemic heart disease and stroke, remains a leading global cause of death and significant health loss worldwide.

Ideal Cardiovascular Health

Ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) is characterized by the absence of CVD indicators and specific behavioral and health metrics.
Behaviors include not smoking, adequate physical activity, healthy diet, and maintaining appropriate weight.
Health factors include maintaining optimal cholesterol without medication, optimal blood pressure without medication, and optimal fasting blood glucose without medication.

Prevalence of CVD in Adults

Prevalence of CVD varies significantly by age and sex.
The rates of CVD are significantly higher for older age groups as compared with younger age groups across both sexes.
Men and women with CVD are illustrated by heart icons to represent age-related prevalence (per 10% of population for men and women with CVD.)

Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, arterioles, veins, venules, and capillaries.
Atria receive blood, while ventricles pump blood through vessels.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood (except pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs).
Arterioles branch from arteries and have thin walls facilitating oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrient, and waste exchange with body cells.
Venules carry blood from capillary beds into veins.
Veins carry blood back to the heart.
The sinoatrial node (SA node) acts as the heart's natural pacemaker.

The Heart

The heart has four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.
Valves regulate blood flow.
Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium, travels to the right ventricle, and is pumped to the lungs for oxygenation.
Oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium, moves into the left ventricle, and is pumped to the body.

Major Cardiovascular Diseases

Hypertension: Systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures, indicating pressure in arteries during heart contractions and relaxation respectively.
Atherosclerosis (CAD): Coronary artery disease, caused by arteriosclerosis and hyperlipidemia involving narrowing of the arteries by plaque build-up.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD): Atherosclerosis in the lower extremities (feet, calves, legs, and arms).
Coronary heart disease (CHD): Leading cause of cardiovascular deaths in the US, resulting from blood clots and narrowed arteries in coronary arteries obstructing blood flow.
Arrhythmias: Irregular heart rhythms due to electrical impulse abnormalities.
Tachycardia: Abnormally fast heart rate.
Bradycardia: Abnormally slow heart rate.
Angina pectoris: Chest pain/pressure caused by insufficient oxygen to heart muscles.
Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure: Congestive heart failure resulting from heart muscle damage or overworking leading to blood backing up in lungs and other body tissues.
Stroke: Interruption of blood supply to the brain causing temporary or permanent impairment.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs): Brief interruptions of blood supply to the brain, resulting in temporary impairments.

Reducing Your CVD Risks:

Avoid tobacco use.
Reduce saturated and unhealthy fats intake
Follow a heart-healthy diet (reduce sodium, increase fiber, and plant sterols).
Maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly.
Manage diabetes.
Manage blood pressure.
Reduce stress and get sufficient sleep.
Addressing cardiometabolic risk factors (physical and biochemical changes) is important to reduce the combined likelihood of CVD and type 2 diabetes.

Nonmodifiable CVD Risks

Heredity
Age
Gender

Other Risk Factors Being Studied

Inflammation and C-reactive protein
Homocysteine

Diagnosing and Treating CVD

Statin drugs lower blood cholesterol levels.
ACE inhibitors aid heart muscle contraction to lower blood pressure.
Beta-blockers reduce blood pressure by blocking the effects of epinephrine (adrenaline).
CPR
Various diagnostic tools including ECG, angiography, PET scan, MRI, CT scan, and cardiac calcium score are used for CVD diagnosis.

Surgical Options

Coronary bypass surgery bypasses blocked coronary arteries with a blood vessel from another part of the body.
Angioplasty opens blocked arteries using a balloon catheter.
Stents prop open arteries, preventing further blockage.

Changing Aspirin Recommendations and Other Treatments

Aspirin has blood-thinning properties, and benefits may reduce future heart attacks in people who have previously had heart attacks.
However, aspirin may increase risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and stroke.
Thrombolysis aims to quickly restore blood flow to the brain if a victim reaches emergency treatment quickly enough.

Cancer Overview

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US.
5-year relative survival rates are improving substantially.
Remission denotes cancer response to treatment, indicating control.

How Cancer Develops

Uncontrolled cell growth and abnormal development lead to neoplasms.
Benign tumors are harmless and remain localized.
Malignant tumors spread to nearby tissues (metastasis) and consist of disruptive RNA & DNA producing mutant cells.

Cancer Staging

Cancer staging classifies cancer based on tumor size, depth of penetration, affected lymph nodes, and the degree of metastasis.

What Causes Cancer

Lifestyle risks such as tobacco use, drug and alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition are significant causes of cancer. Stress, inflammation, infections, exposure to harmful substances also contribute.
Genetic predispositions and family history elevate cancer risk.
Oncogenes, cancer-causing genes, sometimes remain dormant but are triggered by environmental factors.
Reproductive and hormonal events influence breast and cervical cancers.
Inflammation and its role in cancer development, as well as exposure to occupational and environmental factors, such as radiation, asbestos, and certain foods, all matter.
Infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B/C, HPV, and Helicobacter pylori, contribute to specific cancer types.

Types of Cancer

Carcinomas originate from epithelial tissues (common).
Sarcomas arise from mesodermal tissues, including bones, muscles, and connective tissues.
Lymphomas develop in the lymphatic system.
Leukemias affect blood-forming parts of the body. These classifications and specific cancer sites contribute to disease type and spread severity.

Leading Cancer Sites (2021 Estimates)

Data are presented for new cancer cases and deaths for different cancers.

Lung Cancer

Symptoms include persistent cough, sputum streaked with blood, chest pain, and recurring bronchitis attacks.
Treatment depends on stage, involving surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation, often with surgery being the primary treatment when cancer is localized.
Smoking remains a leading risk factor.
Notably, more women are dying from lung cancer than breast cancer, since 1987.

Breast Cancer

Early detection with mammograms is crucial, even before lumps are felt.
Regular self-exams are important for early detection.
Lumps, thickening, dimpling, skin irritation, and other symptoms should be evaluated.
Treatments might include lumpectomy, radical mastectomy, radiation, and/or chemotherapy.
Risk increases with age, a family history of breast cancer, early or late onset periods, and those who did not have children.
Healthy lifestyle is critical, and regular exercise is a significant preventive strategy.

Colon and Rectal Cancer

Second leading cause of cancer in men and women.
Risk factors include age, obesity, family history of the disease, and colitis.
Warning signs include blood in stool and rectal bleeding.
Screening tests like colonoscopies, barium enemas, and home-based tests exist.
Treatment involves radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, depending on stage.
Prevention includes moderate exercise, a healthy diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, reducing red/processed meat consumption, weight maintenance, tobacco avoidance, and moderate alcohol consumption.

Skin Cancer

Most frequent skin cancers are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which are usually treatable.
Malignant melanoma, a more serious skin cancer, treatment varies depending on cancer type, stage, and location.
Early detection and targeted therapy for melanoma.
The ABCD rule for skin cancer early detection (Asymmetry, Border Irregularity, Color, and Diameter).
Prevention includes protecting oneself from sun exposure, avoiding excessive sunburns, and early identification of skin cancer.

Prostate Cancer

Most frequent cancer in American males (exclude skin cancer), and it is the third most common cause of cancer death in males after lung cancer.
Symptoms may include weak/interrupted urine flow, difficulty starting/stopping urination, urge to urinate frequently, blood in urine, and pain in the back, pelvis, or thighs.
Risk factors include family history, ethnicity, and age.
Dietary improvements help mitigate the risk of prostate cancer, including increased fruit and vegetable intake and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including avoiding smoking.

Ovarian Cancer

Fifth most frequent cause of death from cancer in women.
Abdominal enlargement is a common symptom.
Other symptoms may include fatigue, pain during intercourse, unexplained weight loss, and changes in bowel/bladder habits.
Risk factors include family history, lack of children, and use of fertility drugs.
Prevention strategies include a healthy diet, sleep, stress control, weight control, and regular exercise.
Annual pelvic exams are recommended.

Other Cancer Types

Cervical and endometrial (uterine corpus) cancers require regular Pap tests for early detection. Early/multiple sexual encounters, unprotected sex, and HPV infection are some risk factors.
Testicular cancer, typically diagnosed in young to middle-aged men, with possible connection to undescended testes and unknown causes.

Pancreatic Cancer

Even in early stages, 5-year survival rate is low (39%).
Smoking, obesity, high red meat/fat diet, and history of pancreatitis are risk factors.
Symptoms are limited, making early detection especially difficult.
Advanced stage at diagnosis often necessitates treatment challenges.

Facing Cancer

Early cancer detection leads to better survival chances.
Self-exams and regular checkups are essential.
Advanced technologies, such as MRI and CT scans, assist in cancer detection.

Cancer Screening Guidelines

Guidelines based on average risk and absence of symptoms, providing recommendations for breast, cervical, colon/rectal, and prostate cancer screening procedures and frequencies.
Professionals should be consulted for specific tailored recommendations based on individual risk profiles.

Cancer Treatments

Surgery to remove tumors, including stereotactic radiosurgery
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Research into genes and cell mutations
Immunotherapy (cancer-fighting vaccines)
Stem cell research

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Description

Test your knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the heart as well as the impact of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This quiz covers key concepts such as blood pressure readings, common cancers, and preventable risk factors. Challenge yourself to understand how these health issues interconnect and what can be done for prevention.