Heart Anatomy
Why do heart valves need to close tightly after each heartbeat?
To prevent blood from backflow
What is physiology?
Describe heart valve regurgitation?
The heart valve does no close all the way, so blood leaks backwards
Name three symptoms of heart disease
Fatigue, shortness of breathe, palpitations, edema, weakness, weight gain, chest pain
Name one possible symptom of severe valve disease.
Shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, fatigue, dizziness, etc
Which chamber of the heart has the thickest wall, and why?
Left ventricle, because it pumps blood to the entire body (generates the highest pressure)
The three types of blood vessels are...
Arteries, capillaries, veins
What is the valvular condition where the heart valve stretches backwards, leading to leaking?
Prolapse
What are three risk factors for heart disease?
Use of tobacco products, not enough exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure, radiation treatment, cancer, having a pacemaker, aging, etc.
Which animal has the slowest heartbeat? A) Mouse B) Blue whale C) Hummingbird D) Dog
Blue whale (around 2–10 beats per minute)
A patient has damage to the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. Which valve is affected?
Aortic valve
Veins transport blood _____ to/from the heart. Arteries transport blood _____ to/from the heart.
Veins transport blood to the heart, arteries transport blood away from the heart
What is the valvular condition where the valve is stiffened?
Stenosis
What are three complications of untreated heart valvular conditions?
Heart failure, stroke, arrhythmia, blood clots, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac arrest, death
Why might someone with severe valve disease eventually develop heart failure?
The heart becomes overworked over time and loses its ability to pump effectively
Which side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to where, and which side pumps oxygen-poor blood to where?
Left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body; right side pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs
The two main circulatory loops of blood in the body are...
Systemic, pulmonary
Name the four heart valves?
Mitral, tricuspid, aortic, pulmonary
How many medication classes do we have to treat heart failure?
Four! ARNI, beta-blockers, MRAs, and SGLT2 inhibitors
A patient has severe aortic stenosis and faints while exercising. Why might this happen?
The narrowed valve limits blood flow from the heart, so the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen-rich blood during exercise
A red blood cell starts in the superior vena cava. List all four chambers and all four valves it passes through before reaching the aorta.
Superior vena cava → Right atrium → Tricuspid valve → Right ventricle → Pulmonary valve → Lungs → Left atrium → Mitral valve → Left ventricle → Aortic valve → Aorta
What is the name for the way the heart produces its own electrical signals?
Automaticity
How many Americans die each year from valvular heart disease?
27,000
Is heart valve disease curable, and if so, how?
No (:
Which would you expect to make a louder heart murmur, a healthy valve or a narrowed/leaky valve? Why?
A narrowed or leaky valve because turbulent blood flow creates abnormal sounds