To really comprehend how a heart works, it is imperative that a person familiarizes himself or herself with heart terms. Knowing different heart terms will also empower a person to have a clearer conversation with a doctor about heart health. The different heart health terms are sometimes complicated. However, knowing them can mean all the difference in the world. The following is a heart health glossary.
Aneurysm: An aneurysm is a part of a blood vessel that has gotten bigger because of a weakness in the wall of the vessel.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: This is a medication that is also referred to as an ACE inhibitor. It reduces blood pressure.
Angina (angina pectoris): An angina is an attack of extreme pain in the chest pain, jaw, chest or neck, brought about by insufficiency of oxygen and blood to the heart.
Angiogram (PDF): An angiogram is an image of one’s coronary arteries and heart gotten by utilizing a dye that has been injected.
Angioplasty: An angioplasty is a procedure that opens or widens blood vessels that have been blocked. It does this by threading a small catheter into said blocked region and inflating a small balloon to mechanically make it expand.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers: This is medication that is used for the treatment of high blood pressure as well as congestive heart failure.
Arrhythmia: Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat.
Atherosclerosis: This is a sickness characterized by fatty materials’ buildup into plaques on one’s artery walls, which lower blood flow.
Beta blockers: Beta blockers are popularly used medications that are used to treat high blood pressure.
Blood pressure (BP): Blood pressure is a measurement of how much force one’s blood exerts on one’s artery walls as it is pumped throughout the body.
Calcium antagonists (calcium channel blockers): These are medications that are utilized to slow down one’s heart as well as to relax the blood vessels.
Cardiac arrest: This occurs when one’s heartbeat fibrillates, slows down or stops altogether. This results in lack of consciousness and possibly even death.
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is required for a synthesis of some hormones and cell membranes.
Congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is when one’s heart is not capable of pumping any blood throughout one’s body.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG): This is a kind of surgery where a blood vessel that has been used from another portion of one’s body is formed into a makeshift blood vessel.
Coronary heart disease: This is a blocking or a narrowing of coronary arteries by atherosclerosis.
C-reactive protein: C-reactive protein is created because of inflammation, and higher levels may be a heart problem.
Creatine kinase: Creatine kinase is an enzyme that is measured through a blood test. If it is higher than normal, it might mean damage to the heart muscle.
Defibrillation: Defibrillation is an electric shock that is administered to one’s heart to make its rhythm normal.
Diastolic blood pressure: This is the second or the lower number in one’s blood pressure reading.
Digitalis (digoxin, digitoxin): Digitalis is medication that intensifies the ability of one’s heart to get rid of fluid from tissues and pump blood.
Diuretics: Diuretics are medications that make the excretion of salts and waters easier.
Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram is an imaging test that relies on reflected sound waves for displaying the structure and the movement of a heart.
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): This is a test, which offers an electronic or paper tracing of the heart’s electrical signal.
Fibrillation: Fibrillation is when one’s heart muscle contracts in uncoordinated and fast movements.
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors: These medications have an impact on platelets and play a role in lessening clotting of the blood.
Heart attack/myocardial infarction (MI): A heart attack is heart muscle damage that is acute; this is caused by extremely lessened amounts of oxygen and blood going to particular parts of the heart.
High blood pressure (hypertension): High blood pressure happens when the systolic reading is greater than 140mm/Hg, while the diastolic stays at 90mm/Hg.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL): These are fat and protein molecules that bring cholesterol from one’s tissues to one’s liver.
Homocysteine: This is an amino acid that is associated with cardiovascular disease.
Ischemia: Ischemia is a lessening of blood flow that causes reduced quantities of oxygen getting to one’s tissues.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): LDL are fat and protein molecules that bring from one’s liver into one’s tissues; it is seen as the bad kind of cholesterol.
Nitroglycerin: Nitroglycerin is medication that gets dissolved under one’s tongue for quick absorption. It dilates blood vessels that have been narrowed, for increased flow of blood.
Pacemaker (PDF): A pacemaker is an implanted tool that creates electrical impulses in one’s heart.
Plaque: A plaque is a mass of material, which is found at an artery wall that has cell debris and cholesterol.
Reperfusion therapy: This treatment therapy is a means to bring back blood flow to an injured part of one’s brain or heart.
Restenosis: Restenosis is a circumstance in which a blood vessel enlarged by way of surgery gets narrow again.
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT): This procedure entails putting radioactive liquid into one’s blood vessels, for the purpose of taking photos of one’s heart.
Statins: Statins are medications, which can reduce one’s cholesterol.
Stenosis: Stenosis is the narrowing of blood vessels that cause a limitation of blood supply.
Stent: A stent is a tube put in a coronary artery, which is utilized to support an artery after it was cleared of any kind of blockage.
Systolic blood pressure: Systolic blood pressure is the first or the upper number in a blood pressure reading.
Tachycardia: Tachycardia is heartbeat that is very fast.
Thrombolytic agents/clot busters: These are medications that are employed to disrupt blood clots, permitting blood to flow once more.
Thrombus: The thrombus is a blood clot formed inside a heart or blood vessel.
Tissue plasminogen activators (tPAs): These are medications known to dissolve clots in the blood.
Trans fats/fatty acids: This is a kind of fat in foods that features either hydrogen or vegetable oils that are partly hydrogenated. It raises bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol.
Treadmill test/stress test: The treadmill test determines breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, electrical activity and cardiac output.
Triglycerides: Triglycerides are fats that one uses for energy.
Troponin: Troponin is protein that is located in the heart muscle; if it is high, it means injury to one’s heart.
Vasodilators (PPT): These are medications that relax one’s blood vessels while putting down blood pressure.
Vasopressors (PDF): Vasopressors are medications, which make blood vessels constrict while increasing one’s blood pressure.