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- AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator)
- A device implanted in the body that detects heart arrhythmias and counters them with an electric shock that resets the heart's rhythm.
- Alveoli
- The air sacs within the lungs that contain the region where gas exchange takes place.
- Anemia
- A decrease in the oxygen-carrying red blood cell component of the blood.
- Angina
- Chest pain occurring as a result of inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle. Usually associated with blockages in the heart arteries.
- Angiogram
- An x-ray test
in which dye is injected into an artery to detect narrowing or blockage in
the vessel. A coronary angiogram looks at the arteries supplying the heart
muscle.
- Angioplasty
- Opening of a blocked blood vessel via a catheter.
- Anticoagulant
- Drug that prevents blood clotting.
- Arrhythmia
- Irregular heartbeat such as irregular, skipped, or extra beats that can originate in
the upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
- Artery
- A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
- Atherosclerosis
- Narrowing or
blocking of arteries by cholesterol or other fats and other fibrous tissue
resulting in reduced blood flow.
- Cachexia, Cardiac
- The loss or wasting of body muscle tissue due to heart failure.
- Cardiomegaly
- Enlargement of the heart.
- Cardiomyopathy
- General term
meaning there is something wrong with the function of the heart muscle. If
the cause is not known, the term idiopathic cardiomyopathy is used.
- CBC (Complete Blood Count)
- The
determination of the quantity of each type of blood cell in a given sample
of blood, often including the amount of hemoglobin, the hematocrit, and the
proportions of various white cells. Also called blood profile.
- Cholesterol
- A material
found in animal tissues and various foods, that is normally synthesized by
the liver and is important as a constituent of cell membranes and a
precursor to many hormones. Its level in the bloodstream can influence the
development of certain conditions, such as atherosclerotic plaque and
coronary artery disease.
- Capillaries
- One of the
minute blood vessels that connect arterioles and venules. These blood
vessels form an intricate network throughout the body for the interchange of
various substances, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, between blood and
tissue cells.
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Partial or complete blockage of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle.
- Diastole
- Relaxation and filling of the heart ventricles.
- Dyspnea
- Difficulty breathing.
- Echocardiogram
- A noninvasive
test that uses reflected sound waves off the heart to determine its size,
structure, and function.
- Edema
- Fluid
accumulation in the tissues usually due to excessive pressure in the blood
vessels.
- Edema, Peripheral
- Fluid that
leaks into the tissues of the extremities causing swelling.
- Edema, Pulmonary
- Fluid that
leaks into the lungs causing congestion.
- Ejection Fraction
- The amount of
blood leaving the heart with each contraction. The amount ejected is
measured as a fraction of the total amount of blood in the heart at the
beginning of contraction. Normal is 55-75%.
- Electrocardiogram
- A test to
check the electrical activity of the heart, including its rhythm, evidence
of enlargement, or the presence of a prior or recent heart attack. This test
is also called an ECG or an EKG.
- Endocrine
- Secreting internally. Of or relating to endocrine glands or the hormones secreted by them.
- Heart Failure, Backward
- The ability
of the heart to meet the metabolic needs of the body only if heart filling
pressures are abnormally high.
- Heart Failure, Congestive
- Accumulation
of fluid in the lungs resulting from failure of the left ventricle.
- Heart Failure, Forward
- The inability
of the heart to pump blood forward at a sufficient rate to meet the
metabolic needs of the body.
- Heart Failure, Left
- Failure of
the pumping action of the left side of the heart resulting in congestion of
the lungs or low heart output.
- Heart Failure, Right
- Failure of
the pumping action of the right ventricle resulting in peripheral (systemic)
edema or low heart output.
- Hemoglobin
- The
iron-containing oxygen carrying molecule in red blood cells of vertebrates
- Hormone
- Chemical
signals produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to
effect physiological activity, such as metabolism or organ function.
- Hypertension
- High blood pressure.
- Hypertrophy
- Enlargement of the heart muscle due to the formation of new tissue.
- ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator)
- see AICD
- Ischemia
- Insufficient blood flow to an organ or tissue.
- Myocardial Infarction
- Medical term
for a heart attack. Death of heart muscle occurs due to inadequate blood
flow and oxygen supply.
- Myocardium
- Medical term for the heart muscle.
- Neuroendocrine
- Of, relating
to, or involving the interaction between the nervous system and the hormones
of the endocrine glands.
- Pericardial Disease
- Any disorder affecting the membranous sac that encloses the heart.
- Peripheral Edema
- see Edema, Peripheral
- Pulmonary Edema
- see Edema,
Pulmonary
- Stent
- A small,
latticed metal cylinder that is mounted on a balloon catheter for expansion
into a narrowed artery. This will increase and maintain blood flow beyond
the area held open by the stent.
- Sympathetic Nervous System
- A branch of the nervous system that modulates unconscious functions
- Systole
- Contraction of the heart chambers and ejection of the blood to the lungs and body.
- Tachycardia
- Increased heart rate (over 100 beats per minute).
- Thrombus
- A fibrinous
clot formed in a blood vessel or in a chamber of the heart.
- Urinalysis
- Laboratory
analysis of urine, used to aid in the diagnosis of disease or to detect the
presence of a specific substance, such as protein.
- Vascular
- Vessels that
carry or circulate fluids, such as blood, lymph, or sap through the body of
an animal or a plant.
- Vasodilator
- Drug that
enlarges the blood vessels and decreases resistance to blood flow.
- Vein
- Blood vessel carrying blood toward the heart.
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