Cardiac Cycle

refers to the events associated with one (1) heartbeat

includes:

DIASTOLE (relaxation phase)

of both atria & venticles

SYSTOLE (contraction phase)

in each cycle, atria & ventricles alternately contract & relax

dng atrial systole, ventricles are relaxed;
dng ventricle systole, atria are relaxed
The 2 atria contract simultaneously, while the 2 ventricles relax
when the 2 ventricles contract, 2 atria relax (filling of atria with blood)

Cardiac Cycle
average heart rate: around 75 beats/minute
each heartbeat/cardiac cycle lasts about 0.85 seconds
human heart will undergo over 3 billion
contraction/cardiac cycles during a normal lifetime

Heart sounds: lub dup

dng the cardiac cycle, all 4 of the heart

valves have a chance to open & close

Auscultation: listening (usually w/ a

stethoscope) to the sounds the heart
makes

lub dup sound

associated with heart auscultation

produced by valve closure

lub closing of AV valves

dup closing of semilunar valves at

end of systole

BLOOD PRESSURE

pressure of the blood in arteries within the large systemic

arteries near the heart
in the aorta & its branches
SYSTOLIC pressure
highest arterial pressure
increased pressure on the arteries dng ventricular contraction
blood is pumped into aorta & its branches
DIASTOLIC pressure
lowest arterial pressure
decreased pressure as ventricles relax, blood flows in from the
atria (heart resting)

Pressure in blood vessels decreases as the distance away from the heart
increases

Unit of BP measurement: mm of mercury

Blood pressure is the pressure in arteries generated by the left

ventricle during systole(contraction) & the pressure remaining in the
arteries when the ventricle is in diastole(relaxation phase)

Variations in Blood Pressure

Normal resting BP of young adult:
120 systolic pressure
-------80 diastolic pressure
Human normal range is variable:
140110 mm Hg systolic
8075 mm Hg diastolic
Hypotension
Low systolic (below 110 mm HG)
Often associated with illness
Hypertension
High systolic (above 140 mm HG)
Can cause enlargement of heart leading to heart
failure

Blood pressure
Factors Affecting Blood Pressure:
Cardiac output: volume of blood
pumped by the heart in one minute an
increase or decrease in this causes
change in blood pressure
Blood volume: maybe decreased by
severe hemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhea
and reduced water intake

PULSE
- pressure wave
- due to alternating
expansion & recoil of an
arterial wall (felt in any
artery close to the bodys
surface)
- occurs with each beat of
the LV

CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES

ATHEROSCLEROSIS
- occurs when fat, cholesterol,
and plaque deposits build up &
clog the blood vessels
Coronary heart disease - if
atherosclerosis affects blood
vessels leading to the heart
Causes: diet , high BP & Stress
By slowing the metabolism of
triglycerides, stress allows the
fat to remain in the blood
longer, a factor that may speed
up atherosclerosis
development.

= heart attack

Alterations Of Blood Pressure: Hypertension

Hypertension : chronic high blood pressure; elevated systolic blood

pressure, an elevated diastolic blood pressure, or both
often secondary to hardening of the arteries
as arteries lose their elasticity -> heart beats harder to force the blood
through => high blood pressure
untreated hypertension=> cause severe kidney damage, precipitate a
cerebral hemorrhage (stroke), or result in heart failure

STROKE
- also known as
CerebroVascular Accident
(CVA)
- involves damage to the brain
- due to impaired blood supply
=> sudden malfunction of the
brain
stroke risk factors:
- increasing age,
- gender (more men have strokes),
- diabetes mellitus, prior stroke, and
family history of stroke, hypertension,
heart disease, cigarette smoking, high
cholesterol, and transient ischemic
attacks (TIAs), or little strokes.
- Women using oral contraceptives also
tend to have more strokes.

References
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/healthyheart/
http://texasheart.org/HIC/Anatomy/index.cfm

www.websolutions.com
http:schoolweb.missouri.edu
www.naturalhealthschool.com
www.academic.kelogg.com
www.emergencymedicaled.com
www.guidant.com
Adam.com
www.stress-and-health.com
www.med.howard.edu