Pathophysiology is a combination of pathology and physiology. Whereas pathology is the medical field that describes the conditions diagnosed during the state of illness, physiology is the biological field that describes the mechanisms operating within a living organism. According to McCance and Huether (2015), pathophysiology denotes the functional changes associated with a particular disease or disorder. Coronary artery disease is caused by the thickening of artery walls through which blood is supplied to the heart. It is caused by the buildup of cholesterol deposits in the artery inner walls. The amount of blood supplying the heart muscles with nutrients and oxygen is significantly reduced in the presence of these cholesterol deposits (McCance & Huether, 2015).
Closely related to the above pathophysiology is vascular dementia. This condition is characterized by a waning in thinking skills instigated by a minimized blood flow to the brain and subsequently depriving brain cells of crucial nutrients and oxygen supply. O'Brien and Thomas (2015 ) noted that in vascular dementia, the patient experiences changes in thinking skills due to strokes that block major blood arteries. This may also be manifested in the form of mild changes that deteriorate gradually as a result of several minor strokes affecting blood vessels and eventually result in cumulative damage. These changes often coexist with symptoms linked to some forms of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy bodies. A large body of research has established that vascular changes and their associated brain anomalies interact in ways that contribute to dementia (Kling et al., 2013). The symptoms for both the coronary artery disease and vascular dementia can vary depending on the damage done on the affected artery and the part of the organ affected. Vascular dementia symptoms are most visible in post-stroke changes in the form of vision loss, disorientation, confusion and hallucinations (Kling et al., 2013).
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References
Kling, M. A., Trojanowski, J. Q., Wolk, D. A., Lee, V. M., & Arnold, S. E. (2013). Vascular disease and dementias: paradigm shifts to drive research in new directions. Alzheimer's & dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer's Association , 9(1), 76-92.
Libby, P., & Theroux, P. (2005). Pathophysiology of coronary artery disease. Circulation , 111(25), 3481-3488.
McCance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (2015). Pathophysiology-E-Book: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. Elsevier Health Sciences.
T O'Brien, J., & Thomas, A. (2015). Vascular dementia . The Lancet, 386(10004), 1698-1706.
