Back to marketplace

Failing heart muscle

No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.

Total cards: 23•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (23)

#1
Front (Question)

What is excitation-contraction coupling?

Back (Answer)

The process whereby action potentials trigger myocyte contraction

#2
Front (Question)

What mediates calcium in the cytoplasm?

Back (Answer)

Ryanodine receptors L-type channels SERCA Na/Ca exchangers

#3
Front (Question)

What is heart failure?

Back (Answer)

Inability of the heart to supply adequate blood flow (and oxygen delivery) to organs and tissues

#4
Front (Question)

What is the consequence of decreased perfusion of organs?

Back (Answer)

Reduced exercise capacity Fatigue Shortness of breath

#5
Front (Question)

What is the incidence of heart failure?

Back (Answer)

15 million new cases worldwide each year

#6
Front (Question)

What are the symptoms of heart failure?

Back (Answer)

Enlarged heart Weakened heart muscle Blood pumped at reduced volume Shortness of breath Weakness and fatigue Swollen feet, ankles, abdomen or veins in the neck

#7
Front (Question)

What are risk factors in heart failure?

Back (Answer)

Hypertension Coronary artery disease Valvular disease Obesity Diabetes Kidney disease

#8
Front (Question)

What is the cardiac pathophysiology of heart failure?

Back (Answer)

Decreased stroke volume and cardiac output Increased end-diastolic pressure Ventricular dilation or hypertrophy Impaired filling Reduced ejection

#9
Front (Question)

What is the vascular pathophysiology of heart failure?

Back (Answer)

Increased systemic vascular resistance Decreased arterial pressure Impaired arterial pressure Impaired organ perfusion Decreased venous compliance Increased venous pressure Increased blood volume

#10
Front (Question)

What are the cardiac compensatory mechanisms?

Back (Answer)

Frank-Starling mechanism Ventricular dilation or hypertrophy Tachycardia

#11
Front (Question)

What are the autonomic nerves compensatory mechanisms?

Back (Answer)

Reduced blood pressure initiates baroreceptor reflex Increases sympathetic adrenergic activity Reduced vagal activity

#12
Front (Question)

What are the hormonal compensatory mechanisms?

Back (Answer)

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system Vasopressin Circulating catecholamines Natriuretic peptides

#13
Front (Question)

What changes occur in myocytes in cardiac failure?

Back (Answer)

Altered contractile proteins Altered calcium homeostasis Altered signal transduction pathways

#14
Front (Question)

How are contractile proteins altered in the failing heart?

Back (Answer)

Expression of myosin heavy chains isoforms is unchanged ATPase activity unchanged Cross-bridge cycling rate is slower Phosphorylation of troponin I is reduced

#15
Front (Question)

How is calcium homeostasis altered in the failing heart?

Back (Answer)

Decline in intracellular calcium homeostasis Prolonged duration of the action potential Systolic Ca concentrations stay the same Threshold for Ca released from SR increases Increase in diastolic Ca concentrations Decreased uptake of Ca into SR

#16
Front (Question)

What happens to signal transduction in the failing heart?

Back (Answer)

Decrease in Badrenoreceptor number Alteration in cAMP signalling pathway

#17
Front (Question)

What is the cause of decreased contractile force?

Back (Answer)

SR calcium stores are significantly reduced

#18
Front (Question)

What happens to the Na/Ca exchanger?

Back (Answer)

Upregulated Promotes removal of vital calcium from the cell Development of delayed depolarisation and triggers arrhythmias

#19
Front (Question)

What happens to RyRs in failing cardiac muscle?

Back (Answer)

Hyperphosphorylation to overcome Ca deficiency

#20
Front (Question)

How is heart failure treated isotropically?

Back (Answer)

Positive ionotropic drugs • phosphodiesterase inhibitors • catecholamine-mediated inotropy

#21
Front (Question)

How do inotropic agents treat cardiac failure?

Back (Answer)

Increase force of the B adrenoreceptor system

#22
Front (Question)

What is the effect of nitric oxide?

Back (Answer)

Vasodilation

#23
Front (Question)

What is the role of phophodiesterase inhibitors?

Back (Answer)

Increase heart contractility Vasodilates vessels Alleviates increased pressure