Pathophysiology Questions 2022

Running Head: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Pathophysiology
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY1
Question 1:
a) Congestive heart failure occurs when an individual’s heart is incapable to pumping enough
blood to the entire body. Symptoms observed in individuals are shortness of breath, fatigue,
swelling of the feet and legs, impaired memory and several other related symptoms
(Medlineplus.gov, 2019).
A heart attack usually occurs when there is a blockage in the artery, which causes the obstruction
of the flow of blood to the heart muscle. The heart muscle, in order to function properly and
efficiently, requires a continuous supply of oxygen. In case of a heart attack, the shortness of
breath usually results from both, heart and lung conditions, since these organs are involved in the
process of transporting oxygen throughout the body (Ponikowski et al. 2014). The level of
oxygen, carbon dioxide as well as the amount of haemoglobin present in the blood, plays an
important role in the breathing process, and as the heart attack obstructs the blood flow, it
hampers the required amount of oxygen supply.
When the heart cannot pump enough blood, the blood accumulates to the veins as a result of
which fluid leaks into the lung causing shortness of breath (van Riet et al. 2014). Swelling in the
legs is a sign of heart failure, when the heart cannot work properly and pump blood, fluid builds
up in the tissue (Störk et al. 2016).
Due to these abnormalities in the functioning of the body, caused by heart attack, the individual
tends to not receive enough amounts of oxygen throughout their body, and thus suffers from
onerous fatigue.

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b) The most suitable pharmacotherapy used to treat individuals suffering from a heart attack,
includes two most common types of medications that are usually prescribed, namely Beta
blockers and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (Shah et al., 2017). These are
considered as the first line of pharmacotherapy for patients suffering from heart failure and heart
attack, which helps in reducing the morbidity and mortality rates of the patients.
The Beta blockers and the ACE inhibitors both are used to lower one’s blood pressure, in order
to decrease the stress imposed on the heart, in patient’s suffering from high blood pressure. The
beta blockers additionally, relaxes the heart muscles and can be used to reduce and limit the
damage done on heart muscles to prevent future heart attacks. The ACE inhibitors, as their name
suggests, slows down or inhibits the functioning of the angiotensin converting enzyme, which in
turn reduces the production process of angiotensin II. This lowering of angiotensin II production
results in the dilation or enlargement of blood vessels which in turn reduces the blood pressure
(Shah et al., 2017).
Another most common medication used to decrease the blood clotting, to remove or disintegrate
the blockage in the arteries, is aspirin.
c) When an individual suffers from a heart attack, it indicates that there is either a blockage in
the arteries or any undiagnosed problem of the heart muscles. If, even after this attack the
individual, doesn’t seek medical help, their chances of suffering from a congestive heart failure
increase.
Individuals suffering from high blood pressure, are usually advised to undergo a heart check-up.
This is because, in cases of high blood pressure caused by formation of blockages result in the

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narrowing of the arteries, which in turn leads to the blood pushing against the artery walls,
creating an undue stress on the arteries. When the blood inside the artery pushes against its walls,
to cope with the pressure of the blood passing through it, the muscles present in the walls hold
them and allow to become wider or narrower. High blood pressure affects the ability of arteries
to close or open. If this is not controlled, it can result in the thickening and hardening of
coronary arteries, due to the accumulation of cholesterol, fat and plaques, giving rise to a heart
condition called atherosclerosis.
Thus, after a heart attack, if these are not tended to, they can further cause attacks in the future of
lead to congestive heart failures, as the attack already weakens the heart muscles, and the arteries
and effects their ability to function properly (Medlineplus.gov, 2019). The ability of the arteries
to handle high blood pressure or the stress on their walls reduces significantly. Thus the stress
build-up on the arteries, can also cause the rupturing of the arteries, resulting in the sudden
discontinuation of the blood supply to the heart or the body, leading to the leakage or spillage of
the blood. This phenomenon can lead to an aortic aneurysm, which is usually very common in
individuals who have previously suffered from a heart attack.
References:
Shah, A., Gandhi, D., Srivastava, S., J. Shah, K. and Mansukhani, R. (2017). Heart Failure: A
Class Review of Pharmacotherapy. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5481297/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2019].