Hearts of Hope United
A WORK IN PROGRESS STILL.......
CARDIAC DEFINITIONS & TERMS
A WORK IN PROGRESS STILL.......
CARDIAC DEFINITIONS & TERMS
ACE-INHIBITOR ~ A type of heart drug used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.
ANGINA ~ All organs including the heart, need blood and oxygen to supply energy to them. The coronary arteries provide blood and oxygen to the heart. Over the years, a plaque forms in the artery walls, narrowing the artery. During rest the artery may be able to deliver enough blood to the heart. However, during exercise emotional stress, cold weather, or after meals the narrowed arteries cannot deliver enough blood to the heart. Pain occurs called angina. The symptoms of angina are pressure, tightness, or pain in your chest, arm, back, neck, or jaw; heartburn; nausea; vomiting; profuse sweating; or shortness of breath. Angina pectoris can be diagnosed and treated with various medications and procedures.
ANGINA PECTORIS ~ Chest pain resulting from a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle. The pain is usually distinctive in nature, location, and radiation (that is, it isn't normally a general feeling of pain, and the pain sufferer can pinpoint it to a specific location). Angina may be brought on by emotional stress or physical activity.
ANGIOPLASTY ~ Altering the structure of a blood vessel either by a surgical procedure or by opening up the vessel using a balloon-like device attached to a catheter (see CATHETER).
ANGIOPLASTY, TRANSLUMINAL, PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY (PTCA) ~ A process that opens up a blocked coronary artery by means of a balloon catheter (see CATHETER) to restore blood supply.
ANTICOAGULANTS ~ Drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots.
ARRHYTHMIA ~ Irregularity of the heartbeat
ARTERIES ~ Vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to parts of the body.
ATHERECTOMY ~ A procedure in which the build up of fatty material, or plaque, is cut away from the coronary artery by a cutting or rotating catheter (see CATHETER).
ARTERIOSCLEROTIC PLAQUE ~ A patch of fatty material in the lining of the blood vessels.
ATHEROSCLEROSIS ~ Buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) in blood vessels
BETA BLOCKER ~ A type of heart drug used mainly to treat angina and high blood pressure (also called beta-adrenergic blocking agent).
CALCIUM BLOCKERS ~ A type of heart drug used to treat angina and high blood pressure (also called calcium channel blocking agents and calcium antagonists)
CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS: Conditions or characteristics that make an individual more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or speed up its progression. They include, but are not limited to, family history, smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes mellitus.
CATHETER: A hollow, flexible tube that is inserted into the body.
CATHETERS, VASCULAR: Catheters (see CATHETER) designed for insertion into the blood vessels for various purposes.
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE (CHF) ~ CHF simply means that the heart is unable to keep up with its normal work load. The heart is unable to pump efficiently and the flow of blood throughout the body is decreased. The sluggish blood flow backs up in the blood vessels and can be seen as swelling in the feet, ankles and legs. This is because pressure from the back-up causes fluid to 'leak' out of the blood vessels into the tissues. This can also happen in the lungs. Remember, the heart circulates blood through the lungs to pick up oxygen. When blood flow through the lungs is sluggish, it causes the shortness of breath and 'drowning' of fluid can occurs. CHF is treated with various medications and diuretics.
CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS: Surgical procedure for restoring blood flow to the heart when it has been restricted as a result of coronary artery disease. The surgery is performed by grafting a section of saphenous (suh-FEE-nuhs) vein (found in the leg), internal mammary artery (found in the chest), or radial artery (found in the forearm) between the aorta of the heart and the obstructed coronary artery.
CORONARY ARTERIES: Blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood.
ECHOCARDIOGRAM ~ The use of ultrasonic waves (an ultrasound) to visualize the size, movement, chambers, valves and surrounding tissues of the heart.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM ~ Recording of the electrical impulses of the heart (also called ECG or EKG).
ELECTROLYTES: Substances that break apart into electrically charged particles when placed in a solution. These ions play an important role in regulating body processes.
ENDOSCOPIC SAPHENOUS VEIN HARVESTING: A minimally invasive procedure (see MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE) to remove a section of the greater saphenous (suh-FEE-nuhs) vein (found in the leg) to be used for a coronary artery bypass graft.
ENZYMES: Complex proteins capable of causing chemical reactions or changes in other substances without being changed or altered in the process.
HEART CATHETERIZATION: A procedure in which a catheter (see CATHETER) is passed into the heart chambers and vessels to measure pressures, to determine if blockages exist in the coronary arteries, and to learn how effectively the heart pumps blood.
HYPERTENSION ~ Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Hypertension is defined as a consistently elevated reading above 140 systolic and/or 90 diastolic. Systolic pressure represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart beats or pumps blood and is the "top" number.. The "bottom" number is called diastolic pressure and represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed between beats. Hypertension may be caused by many certain conditions: heredity, age, race, obesity, diet, alcohol, and birth control pills. Although there is no definite cure, most people with hypertension can live long, active lives. This condition can be controlled with proper treatment and frequent follow-up care. Careful evaluation and treatment can help prevent long-term complications.
INFARCTION ~ Death of living cells because of insufficient blood supply (see also myocardial infarction).
INVASIVE PROCEDURES: Medical procedure in which a body cavity is entered, for example, by use of a tube, needle, device, or even radiation. (See also MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE.)
ISCHEMIA ~ Temporary damage to living cells because of insufficient blood supply (see also myocardial ishemia).
LIPOPROTEIN ~ The fat/protein complex that is used to transport cholesterol and related substances in the blood.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURES: Diagnostic or surgical procedure that allows the smallest possible degree of cutting, blood loss and trauma to the patient. (See also INVASIVE PROCEDURE.)
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE (MVP) ~ MVP is a slight malfunction of one of the valves in the heart. Between the atria and ventricles, there are valves that prevent the blood from flowing backward. The valve between the left atrium and left ventricle is the mitral valve. It consists of two flaps that open into the ventricles and swing shut with the edges fitting tightly together. Each flap is worked by a small tendon and muscle attached to the wall of the ventricle. When the atrium contracts, the flaps open to allow the blood to flow through. When the ventricle contracts to pump blood out, the mitral valve closes tightly to prevent blood flow back into the atrium.
The muscle attached to one flap of the mitral valve, or the muscles attached to both flaps may be stretched or weakened. This condition can prevent the valve from closing properly. If it is a minor weakening, as is usually the case, one or both of the valve flaps become floppy and billow back into the atrium (prolapse) before closing. The valves billowing backward and flopping shut can be heard as a 'click' through a stethoscope. Sometimes, the muscles working the mitral valve are stretched or weakened to a greater degree, and the valve flaps are not able to close tightly. When there is an opening between the edges of the flaps, some blood can flow back into the atrium as the ventricle contracts. This is known as mitral regurgitation. The sound through a stethoscope is a murmuring sound (heart murmur). Depending on the severity of the MVP, there is usually no treatment necessary and is fairly easy to diagnose.
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION ~ Death of heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply, usually because of clot obstructing blood flow (lay term: heart attack).
MYOCARDIAL ISHEMIA ~ Temporary damage to heart muscle because of insufficient blood flow. When pain accompanies it, it is called angina or angina pectoris.
NITRATES ~ Type of heart drug used mainly to treat angina
NITROGLYCERIN: A drug that acts to open up blood vessels and is used in the treatment of angina.
NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURE ~ One in which diagnostic instruments do not enter body, e.g., an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram.
PULSE: The rhythmic beating in the arteries, caused by the contractions of the heart.
PTCA: See ANGIOPLASTY, TRANSLUMINAL, PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY.
QRS COMPLEX ~ A part of the electrocardiographic tracing related to the contraction (beating) of the ventricle (see also electrocardiogram).
ST SEGMENT ~ That part of the electrocardiographic tracing related to ventricular relaxation (see also electrocardiogram).
STENT: A mesh-like device that is inserted into a blood vessel to provide support, keep the vessel open and unblocked and enhance blood flow.
VEINS: Vessels that carry blood back to the heart.
VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION ~ Rapid, irregular and ineffective contractions of the ventricle. A fatal arrhythmia unless ended by an electric shock to the chest.
Definition of Cardiac Terms Compiled From: Heart Care Inc.
White Memorial Medical Center
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