Coronary
Artery Disease — Stroke — Hypertension —
Cholesterol Medical
DictionaryWrite your abstract here. DictionaryCardiovascular conditions affect the entire
body. While a heart attack or stroke can be immediately
extremely harmful, high
cholesterol and high
blood pressure or hypertension can be harmful
in the long run. Knowing what the risk factors
are and how to handle them, therefore, is important.
This medical
Dictionary covers terms used in
the glossaries from the reports, The
Healthy Heart: Preventing, detecting, and treating
coronary artery disease,
Hypertension: Controlling the ‘Silent
Killer’, Stroke: Preventing and
Treating “Brain
Attack”, and
What to do About High
Cholesterol and includes
details on the structure of the heart and cardiovascular
system, risk factors, symptoms of disease,
the cholesterol and fats that are either harmful
or beneficial, treatments, and more.
ablation: A form of treatment
that uses electrical energy, heat, cold, alcohol,
or other modalities to destroy a small section
of damaged heart tissue.
aldosterone: A hormone secreted
by the adrenal glands that signals the kidneys
to conserve sodium and water; the result is higher
blood pressure.
alpha blockers: A group of
drugs that lower blood pressure by blocking the
effects of adrenaline or adrenaline-like substances
on cells'' alpha receptors. Alpha blockers are
also known as alpha-adrenergic antagonists, alpha-adrenergic
blocking agents, and alpha-adrenergic blockers.
aneurysm: A weak spot in a
blood vessel wall that can balloon out. An aneurysm
can be life-threatening if it bursts.
angina:
The medical term for chest pain or discomfort
that occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium)
is not getting as much blood as it needs. Stable
angina, also known as angina pectoris, is
a predictable form usually triggered by activity
or stress. and generally relieved by nitroglycerin
or rest. Unstable angina is unexpected
chest pain usually at rest. Unstable
angina should be treated as an emergency, just
like a heart attack or stroke.
angiogenesis: The formation
of new blood vessels.angiography: An X-ray test
used to detect diseases of the blood vessels.
It is done during cardiac catheterization.
angioplasty: A procedure used
to widen narrowed arteries, most commonly by
inserting a thin tube, or catheter, into the
affected artery and inflating a balloon.
angiotensin: A chemical produced
by the body that constricts blood vessels and
stimulates the release of aldosterone.
angiotensin-converting
enzyme (ACE) inhibitor: A class of
drugs that stops the production of angiotensin.
This lowers blood pressure and reduces the
heart''s workload. ACE inhibitors are used to
treat high blood pressure and heart failure.
angiotensin II receptor
blockers (ARBs):
A class of drugs that blocks the effects of
angiotensin. Like ACE inhibitors, they
keep coronary arteries open, lower blood pressure,
and reduce the heart''s workload.
ankle-brachial
index: A test that compares blood
pressure at the ankle with blood pressure at
the elbow. A difference between the two indicates
the presence of peripheral artery disease.
anticoagulants:
Drugs that diminish the blood''s ability to clot.
Anticoagulants are sometimes called blood thinners
even though they do not thin the blood. Commonly
used anticoagulant drugs include heparin and
warfarin.
antihypertensives: Medications
used to treat high blood pressure.
antioxidant: A substance that
inhibits oxidation.
antiplatelets: Medications
that interfere with blood clotting by inhibiting
the activity of platelets.
aorta: The large artery emerging
from the heart''s left ventricle that distributes
blood to the body.
aortic valve: A three-flap
valve between the left ventricle and the aorta.
aphasia: Difficulty speaking
or comprehending language; a common occurrence
after a stroke affecting the left hemisphere
of the brain, where language is processed.
apolipoproteins: Proteins that
combine with cholesterol and triglyceride to
form lipoproteins.
arrhythmia: An abnormal heart
rhythm caused by a disturbance in the heart’s
electrical system.
arterial resistance: The pressure
that the artery walls exert on blood flow; in
general, the less elastic the a