Disorders of Circulatory System - Practice Questions & MCQ

Abnormal conditions related to circulatory system

Hypertension

• Persistent increase in blood pressure above 140 mm of Hg (systolic) and 90 mm of Hg (diastolic) is termed as hypertension
• It is a major health problem having no as symptoms
• It is caused by nervous tension and emotional stress leading to contraction of arteries
• It may lead to heart failure, kidney diseases and stroke

Hypotension

• Hypotension is the term used for denoting decrease in the arterial blood pressure 
• This occurs when the systolic pressure gets below 110 mm of Hg and diastolic pressure drops below 70 mm of Hg
• It is caused by vasodilation of arterioles, loss of blood, lower pumping action of heart, nervous disorders anaemia etc

Arteriosclerosis

• It is the hardening of arteries and arterioles due to the thickening of the fibrous tissue and consequent loss of elasticity of their walls
• It can further cause hypertension.
• Typically, it occurs in elders
• There are two types of arteriosclerosis. In one type calcium gets deposited in the tunica media of arteries while in another the lumen of arterioles become narrow due to deposition of cholesterol

Atherosclerosis

• It refers to irregular thickening of arterial walls and narrowing of their lumen 
• Atherosclerosis occurs due to the deposition of yellow plaques or atheromas in their tunica interna and some parts of tunica media
• Atheromas consist of cholesterol and other lipid materials
• They are formed of low density lipoproteins
• These LDL can pass through the endothelium and get precipitated inside the artery
• Atherosclerosis mostly develops in the aorta, coronary arteries and cerebral arteries
• Atherosclerosis in cerebral arteries restricts the blood flow to the brain leading to cerebrovascular accident or stroke
• Obstruction in blood flow due to atherosclerosis can also cause heart and kidney failure

Fibrillation

• It is a condition in which the heart muscles contract very rapidly but in uncoordinated fashion
• There can be atrial and ventricular fibrillation

Cardiovascular diseases

• There are several cardiovascular diseases which occur due to the malfunctioning of the heart and its conducting vessels.
• The two most common diseases related to circulatory system are 
• Coronary artery disease
• It is caused by atherosclerosis of blood vessels that supply blood to the heart
• The factors responsible for coronary artery disease are high cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, hyperglycemia, lack of exercise, stress, obesity etc. 
• Symptoms of coronary artery disease are chest pain, nausea, perspiration, and abnormal ECG.
• Preventive measures of coronary artery disease include reducing cholesterol levels in food, avoiding sedentary lifestyle and smoking
• Coronary artery disease can be treated by bypass grafting or angioplasty (breaking of arterial blockage by balloon catheter) and coronary stent-implantation. 
• Coronary artery disease can cause heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and angina

Myocardial infarction

• Myocardial infarction is also known as heart attack
• It results from the death of a part of heart muscle following cessation of blood supply to it
• It is characterised by severe pain in the heart or nearby organ, breathlessness, restlessness, nausea, vomiting etc.

Angina pectoris

• It refers to ‘pain in the chest’.
• It results from reduced blood supply to the heart
• Angina is caused by atherosclerosis
• The chest pain can extend to left arm, shoulder and even jaw.
• Angina pectoris is a signal of heart attack 

Congestive heart failure

• It occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood sufficiently in order to meet the body’s needs
• It mostly occurs due to dysfunctioning of left ventricle
• The failure of adequate output by the left ventricle is marked by lungs congestion and edema
• The failure of adequate output by the right ventricle is marked by venous enlargement, hepatic enlargement and edema
• Heart failure can be caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity etc.