NUR 631 TOPIC 8 DQ 1 • Online Nursing Essays

Sample Answer for NUR 631 TOPIC 8 DQ 1 Included After Question

Answer all of the following questions for your discussion response. Use the format displayed in the “Discussion Forum Sample.” 

Describe coronary artery disease. How does it develop? What is the pathophysiological basis of how the various risk factors can lead to this disorder? 

Numerous hormones have an impact on cardiac function. List two to three of these hormones and address how they affect the heart or the cardiovascular system. 

Diet and lifestyle play an important role in cardiovascular health. What is the impact of a poor diet and lifestyle on the cardiovascular system? 

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NUR 631 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Title: NUR 631 TOPIC 8 DQ 1

Describe coronary artery disease. How does it develop? What is the pathophysiological basis of how the various risk factors can lead to this disorder? 

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an umbrella term for various cardiovascular disorders such as dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Atherosclerosis is the thickening of blood vessels caused by prolonged trauma and lipid buildup along the coronary wall (McCance et.al, 2019). CAD is not a singular disease because it can affect all the vascular systems of the body and can lead to myocardial infarctions, ischemia, and sudden death if not treated promptly or early enough. The layers of the artery starting from inside out include the endothelium, tunica intima, tunica media, and the adventitia (McCance et.al, 2019). CAD is developed from damaged endothelial walls that can arise from various risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and aging. The damage to the endothelial walls of the arteries leads to fatty streak and lipid core formations, platelets attach to the endothelium, lipids accumulate, and eventually, fibrous tissue is capped over the lipid pool, with these lesions, a thrombus can attach to plaque wall, ultimately leading to infarction, stroke, or blocked artery (McCance et.al, 2019).  Any blockage in the artery can decrease oxygenation and perfusion. Chronic smokers cause damage to the endothelial walls because it causes inflammation and weakness. High blood pressure damages the walls because of turbulent blood flow to the walls. Hyperlipidemia is another risk factor that contributes to the development of CAD, meaning higher levels of low-density lipoproteins because they easily penetrate the subintima layer of the arterial walls (McCance et.al, 2019). Modifiable risk factors such as weight, smoking, diet, lifestyle, and activity levels can decrease the risk of developing CAD. Non-modifiable risk factors include age, family history, and ethnicity. Management of CAD includes managing risk factors either by lifestyle changes or medication management with agents that reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure.  

Numerous hormones have an impact on cardiac function. List two to three of these hormones and address how they affect the heart or the cardiovascular system. 

Numerous hormones have an impact on the cardiovascular system. While there are many hormones that play a factor in heart function, it is important to note the three responsibilities of hormones. These include contractility and the increase or decrease in blood flow as needed for the body, the redistribution of blood volume during hemorrhage or shock, and the regulation of heat loss (McCance et.al, 2019). Two hormones we will discuss are epinephrine and adrenomedullin (ADM). Epinephrine is a catecholamine hormone that is released from the adrenal medulla and plays a part in the vasoconstriction of the vascular beds (McCance et.al, 2019). Epinephrine does not affect coronary, liver, or skeletal muscle beds (McCance et.al, 2019). Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a vasodilating peptide responsible for cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal function (McCance et.al, 2019). According to an article from Hypertension Research, ADM is prominently increased during inflammatory episodes and is associated with sepsis, it is a clinical marker in the therapeutic management of inflammation (2022). ADM can also be used in the treatment of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases (2022). 

Diet and lifestyle play an important role in cardiovascular health. What is the impact of a poor diet and lifestyle on the cardiovascular system? 

The International Journal of molecular sciences warms that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Western countries by as much as 30% worldwide (2018). Diet and lifestyle changes are important in overall cardiovascular health and healthy living habits. Diet modification is the most recommended treatment for the management of coronary artery disease. Diets that are high in trans fats, saturated fats, sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates all affect cardiac health. A high-fat diet contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. High sodium diets affect blood pressure and can exacerbate heart failure. The Mediterranean diet is recommended for individuals with cardiac issues, in a period of over 5 years, it reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 29% (McCance et.al, 2019). The management of diet can positively impact oxidative stress and inflammation on the endothelial walls (2018). The impact of a poor diet and lifestyle on the cardiovascular system is massive, it can affect proinflammatory cytokines and plaque formation on arterial walls. Healthy eating habits such as consuming foods high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids can contribute to low inflammation and healthy fats that are required for cardiovascular health (2018). A poor diet and sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol (LDLs), obesity, increased fasting glucose, inflammation, and oxidative stress. 

References: 

Casas, R., Castro-Barquero, S., Estruch, R., & Sacanella, E. (2018). Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(12), 3988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19123988 

Kita, T., Kitamura, K. Translational studies of adrenomedullin and related peptides regarding cardiovascular diseases. Hypertens Res 45, 389–400 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00806-y 

McCance, K. L., Huether, S. E., Brashers, V. L., Rote, N. S. (2019). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (Eighth ed.). Elsevier.