Anesthesia
Aneurysm
An abnormal widening of the wall of an artery, a vein or the heart due to weakening of the wall by disease, an abnormality present at birth or injury. Aneurysms are commonly located in the aorta (the major artery leading away from the heart), brain (cerebral aneurysm), leg, and splenic artery.
Angina (Angina Pectoris)
Pain or discomfort due to lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. Angina may present itself as discomfort, heaviness, tightness, pressure or tingling in the chest, back, neck, jaw or arms. Angina is a symptom of a condition called myocardial ischemia. It occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium) does not receive the required blood (or oxygen) for a given level of work. Insufficient blood supply is called ischemia. Stable angina (or chronic stable angina) refers to "predictable" chest discomfort such as that associated with physical exertion or mental or emotional stress. Rest and/or nitroglycerin usually relieves stable angina. Unstable angina refers to unexpected chest pain and usually occurs at rest. It is typically more severe and prolonged and is due to a reduced blood flow to the heart caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries in atherosclerosis. Unstable angina is an acute coronary syndrome and should be treated as an emergency.
Angiotensin
Aorta
Main artery that received blood from the left ventricle of the heart and carries blood to the body. It is the largest artery in the body.
Aortic Disease
Aortic Stenosis (AS)
Congenital heart defect where the aortic valve, between the left ventricle and the aorta, is narrowed. This causes the heart to work harder and the muscle in the wall of the left ventricle (lower chamber) to thicken.
Aortic Valve
Heart valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. It allows the blood to flow from the heart into the aorta and prevents back flow.
Arrhythmia (also known as Dysrhythmia)
An abnormal heart rhythm caused by a disruption of the normal functioning of the heart’s electrical conduction system. The heart can beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. Some forms of cardiac arryhthmias are life-threatening and are seen as medical emergencies. Arrhythmias may cause decreased cardiac output and failure to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Some causes of arrhythmias are coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, hypertension and acute myocardial infarction. Hyperthyroidism and some medications may also cause arrhythmia.
Arterioles
Small, muscular branches of arteries. When they contract, they increase resistance to blood flow, and blood pressure in the arteries increases.
Arteriosclerosis
The hardening and toughening of the artery walls. This causes the artery walls to thicken and lose elasticity. Arteriosclerosis can occur because of fatty deposits (plaque) in blood vessels, calcification of the wall of the arteries, or thickening of the muscular wall of the arteries from chronically elevated blood pressure. It also is associated with aging. Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis.
Artery
Muscular tubes that carry blood flow away from the heart to tissues and organs. Their thick elastic walls expand as blood flows through the arteries.
Atherosclerosis
Narrowing, clogging and hardening of the body's large arteries and medium sized blood vessels. It is a form of arteriosclerosis in which the inner layers of artery walls become thick and irregular due to deposits of fat, cholesterol and other substances. This buildup is called "plaque." As the interior walls of arteries become lined with these deposits, the arteries become narrowed, reducing the blood flow through them. Eventually the plaque can erode the wall of the artery and diminish its elasticity. Plaque deposits can also rupture, causing blood clots to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body. This is a common cause of heart attack, stroke, eye problems and kidney problem. If a clot blocks the blood supply to the arms or legs, it can cause difficulty walking and eventually gangrene if not treated.
Atria (singular of Atrium)
The heart’s two upper chambers that receive and pump blood into the ventricles, the lower chamber of the heart. There are two atria, one on the right side of the heart and one on the left side.
Atrial Fibrillation (also known as A-Fib)
Abnormal heart rhythm where the atria (heart's two upper chambers) quiver instead of beat normally. The atria empty blood into the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) in a disorganized manner instead of beating effectively. Blood that is not pumped completely out of the atria when the heart beats may pool and clot. If a piece of a clot enters the bloodstream, it may lodge in the brain causing a stroke (ischemic stroke). Causes of atrial fibrillation include dysfunction of the sinus node (the heart’s pacemaking area in the right atrium), coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, hypertension and hyperthyroidism. Since 15% of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation, its treatment is important to stroke prevention.
Atrial Flutter
Very rapid beating of the heart's upper chambers (atria). This rhythm occurs most often in people with heart diseases such as pericarditis, coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. Atrial flutter is typically not a stable rhythm and often degenerates into atrial fibrillation. It may persist for months or even years.
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
Hole in the wall between the two upper chambers (right and left atria) of the heart. A congenital heart defect where the wall (septum) that separates the heart’s left and right upper chambers (atria) is defective. When there is a large defect between the atria, a large amount of oxygen-rich (red) blood leaks from the heart's left side back to the right side. Then this blood is pumped back to the lungs, despite already having been refreshed with oxygen. This is inefficient, because already-oxygenated blood displaces blood that needs oxygen. Many people with this defect have few, if any, symptoms.
Atrioventricular (AV) Canal Defect (also known as Atrioventricular Septal Defect or AVSD)
A type of congenital heart defect (a heart defect that is present at birth) in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) between the left and right chambers of the heart. This hole occurs at the point where the upper and lower chambers of the heart meet and can cause a number of complications. AVSDs are classified by how serious the defect is. In the partial form of the condition, blood is allowed to travel between the left and right sides of the heart. In the complete form of the condition, blood can travel freely through all four chambers of the heart.
Atrioventricular Node (aka AV node)
Tissue between the atria and the ventricles of the heart. It conducts the normal electrical impulse from the atria to the ventricles. The AV node is one of the major elements in the cardiac conduction system, which controls the heart rate and rhythm. This system generates electrical impulses and conducts them throughout the muscle of the heart, stimulating the heart to contract and pump blood. Electrical impulses begin in the sinoatrial node (sinus node or SA node), known as the heart's natural pacemaker and located in the upper part of the wall of the right atrium (the heart’s right upper chamber). The electrical signal generated by the SA node moves from cell to cell down through the heart until it reaches the AV node, a cluster of cells at the bottom of the right atrium. The AV node serves as a gate (an "electrical relay station") that slows the electrical current before the signal is permitted to pass to the ventricles. This delay ensures that the atria have a chance to fully contract before the ventricles are stimulated and prevents rapid conduction to the ventricle in cases of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. After passing the AV node, the electrical current travels to the ventricles along special fibers embedded in the walls of the lower part of the heart. In certain types of supraventricular tachycardia, a person could have two AV nodes; this will cause a loop in electrical current and uncontrollably rapid heartbeat.
Atrium
Either of the heart’s two upper chambers in which blood collects before being passed to the ventricles (the heart’s lower chambers).
Attending Physician
Doctor responsible for the patient's hospital treatment or who is charged with the patient's overall care and who is responsible for directing the treatment program
Blood Pressure Blood Vessels
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Bypass Surgery
See Coronary Artery
Calcium
Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac Rehab
Cardiologist
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiovascular disease
Cartoid Artery disease
Catheter
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an odorless, white, waxy substance that is found naturally in humans. You cannot taste or see it in the foods that you eat. The body uses cholesterol to function normally. A high cholesterol level in the bloodstream can be unhealthy; it builds up in the artery wall and can lead to the signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease hdl and ldl
Congenital Heart Disease
Congestive Heart Failure
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Defibilrllator
Dilation