A test that produces an image of the blood vessel, similar to an x-ray. An angiogram shows how well blood flows through the arteries. It also shows whether blockages exist and, if so, the extent of the blockage.
Temporary chest pain, pressure, or discomfort. Angina may be a sign that your heart\nis not getting enough oxygen because of a blockage in a coronary (heart) artery.
A blood vessel that carries blood away the heart and to all parts of the body. Arteries generally carry oxygen rich blood to nourish all of the tissues in the body. Compare to Vein.
An abnormally fast (tachyarrhythmia) or slow (bradyarrhythmia) heartbeat or heart rhythm.
A procedure that opens blocked blood vessels by cutting away plaque buildup. Because this procedure
allows the blood to flow more freely, it can help prevent a heart attack, for example.
A condition in which plaque builds up in blood vessels, making them narrow and hard. This can slow or even block blood flow to the body’s tissues.
Loss of sensation. With general anesthesia, you receive medication that makes you unconscious (puts you temporarily to sleep).
A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart and to all parts of the body. Arteries generally carry oxygen-rich blood to nourish all of the tissues in the body. Compare to Vein.
One of the upper two chambers of the heart. The right atrium collects oxygen-poor blood from the body and passes it into the right ventricle (lower chamber). The left atrium collects oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and passes it into the left ventricle.
A procedure that destroys (ablates) carefully chosen parts of the heart muscle.
An abnormally fast and chaotic heartbeat in the heart’s atria (upper chambers). During atrial fibrillation, the atria are trying to beat so fast—over 200-300 beats per minute—that they quiver rather than pump the blood as they should.
A form of treatment for tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeats). During ATP treatment, small amounts of energy are delivered from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to the heart. The energy levels are so small that the person cannot feel the treatment.
A cluster of specialized cells located between the heart’s atria and ventricles (upper and lower chambers). This part of the heart’s electrical pathway helps carry electrical signals from the atria to the ventricles.
Medications used to treat bacterial infections. For instance, antibiotics are used to treat endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart and its valves.
A procedure that opens blocked blood vessels by pressing plaque buildup against the vessel wall. Because angioplasty allows the blood to flow more freely, it can help prevent a heart attack or stroke.
The force of blood pushing against the artery walls. Blood pressure is higher when the heart beats and lower when the heart relaxes in between beats. A normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). A high blood pressure reading is 140/90 mm Hg or higher. See Diastolic Pressure, and Systolic Pressure.
An abnormally slow heartbeat—typically slower than 60 beats per minute.
Medications that open up narrowed airways in the lungs. Bronchodilators are used to treat lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A condition in which the heart becomes inflamed and the heart muscle doesn’t work as well as it should. Often the heart becomes enlarged (dilated). Many people with cardiomyopathy also have heart failure.
One of two arteries, each located on either side of the neck. Carotid arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the brain. It’s possible to feel the blood flowing in the carotid arteries by gently feeling the pulse on the lower part of the neck.
One of four sections inside the heart. The four chambers are right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle. Each chamber is like a separate room that has valves (like doors), which control blood flow in the heart.
A small flexible tube. For some heart and blood vessel tests or procedures, a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel. The doctor gently pushes and steers the catheter into place for the test or procedure.
A procedure in which a catheter (a small flexible tube) is inserted into a blood vessel and gently steered toward the heart.
One of several blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle.
Present from birth. A heart condition, for instance, can be congenital.
A condition in which plaque builds up in one or more coronary arteries (the blood vessels in the heart). CAD makes the coronary arteries narrow and hard. CAD can slow or even block blood flow to the heart.
A condition in which plaque builds up and gradually clogs the carotid arteries in the neck. In the carotid arteries, plaque buildup can slow or cut off blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke.
nsertion of a catheter into the body. As related to heart and blood vessel conditions, the catheter is inserted through a small incision into a blood vessel.
nsertion of a catheter into the body. As related to heart and blood vessel conditions, the catheter is inserted through a small incision into a blood vessel.
A program that focuses on helping patients recover from or avoid heart conditions. The program is run by a team of health care providers who give advice—often about doing the right types of exercises, eating a heart-healthy diet, and making lifestyle changes as needed.
A procedure in which a catheter (a small flexible tube) is inserted into a blood vessel and gently steered toward the heart.
A low-energy shock delivered to the heart to stop a fast arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). Compare to Defibrillation.
A term used to describe a group of chronic lung diseases. COPD refers to two lung diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Many people with COPD have both of these lung diseases. With COPD, the airways that carry air to and from the lungs are partly blocked. Therefore the airways take in less air over time. COPD and heart failure have similar symptoms. But COPD is a lung condition, whereas heart failure is a heart condition.
A combination of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing. CPR is an immediate form of treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). CPR helps deliver some oxygen to the brain until an electrical shock (defibrillation) can be delivered to the heart.
Like the test done on pregnant women, a Doppler ultrasound produces a three dimensional, moving image of various parts of the body. The machine sends out sound waves at a frequency that people can’t hear. As the sound echoes off of the body fluids and tissues, a computer shows moving images of the inside of the body. Doppler ultrasound refers to a test that can show the blood flowing through arteries in the neck, legs, or elsewhere. Compare to an Echocardiogram, which uses Doppler technology to show images of the heart and coronary arteries (heart arteries)
A condition in which the body either cannot produce or cannot properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy that body cells use as fuel. Diabetes can be damaging to the heart and blood vessels. See Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Pre-Diabetes.
A condition in some heart failure patients. Dyssynchrony refers to the uncoordinated beating of the heart’s ventricles (lower chambers).
A condition in some heart failure patients. Dyssynchrony refers to the uncoordinated beating of the heart’s ventricles (lower chambers).
A machine or device that delivers a high-energy shock to the heart. External defibrillators use paddles to deliver the electrical energy to the outside of the chest. Internal defibrillators are called implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
A test that shows how the heart’s electrical system is working. Electrodes (patches) sense the heart’s electrical signals. The ECG machine then traces the heart’s rhythm, which looks like peaks and valleys. The ECG test can also show.
A test of the heart’s electrical system. This test is more complex and can reveal more than an electrocardiogram (ECG). One or more leads (coated wires) are inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin. The doctor “steers” the leads toward the heart, where they sense the heart’s electrical activity. Often the doctor tries to trigger an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). This can help show how easily a person’s heart can produce arrhythmias on its own.
Repeated inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction may result from a blood vessel condition called peripheral vascular disease (PVD).
A system of conduction pathways in the heart. The electrical system is responsible for the heart contracting, or beating. The system includes a network of electrical pathways, similar to electrical wiring in the home. As the pathways carry electrical signal throughout the heart, the heart muscle contracts and the heart beats. After the heart relaxes for an instant, the electrical signals again travel down the pathways, from the top to the bottom of the heart.
A sensor that detects hearbeats, or the heart’s electrical activity. Different types of electrodes are used in testing and treatment of heart and blood vessel conditions. For example, electrodes are in the sticky patches put on your chest (and attached to wires) during an electrocardiogram. Electrodes are also at the ends of coated wires (leads) implanted as part of a cardiac device procedure.
The percentage of total blood pumped out of the heart’s left ventricle (lower chamber). The EF is the blood pumped or “ejected” with each heartbeat. Because not all of the blood is ever completely pumped out of the ventricle, the EF is the “fraction” of the total amount of blood pumped out. A normal EF is 50% or higher.
A protein made by your cells that allows chemical reactions to occur in your body.
A small recording device that monitors the heart’s electrical activity for a week to a month or more. The recorder is always on, but it saves the person’s heart rhythms into its memory only when a button is pressed (for example, during symptoms).
tress test can show whether the person’s heart is getting enough blood and oxygen during exercise.
A three-dimensional, moving image of the heart. An echocardiogram uses Doppler ultrasound technology. As sound waves pass over the chest and then reflect or “echo” off of the heart, a computer screen shows moving images of the heart. An echocardiogram is a test of the heart and its blood vessels only. Compare to Doppler Ultrasound, which can be used on many parts of the body.
An infection of the inner lining of the heart and its valves. People with a heart valve condition are at higher risk for developing endocarditis.
Real-time, moving x-rays of the blood vessels. Fluoroscopy allows a doctor to look at a video screen and see the progress of a catheter or a lead as it is gently steered through blood vessels.
An abnormally fast and chaotic heartbeat—usually faster than 200-300 beats per minute.
Blood sugar. See Diabetes.
A blood test that measures the amount of glucose (blood sugar) in the blood. Glucose tests are used to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Damage to part of the heart muscle from a lack of oxygen. A heart attack is caused by one or more blocked coronary arteries (heart arteries).
A blood pressure reading of or higher than 140/90 mm/Hg. Over time, high blood pressure can cause the arteries to narrow and harden. It can also cause the heart to work harder.
A condition in which the heart muscle is weakened. As a result the heart does not pump as strongly as it should, and blood does not circulate as well as it should. Often heart failure also causes the two ventricles (lower chambers) to beat in an uncoordinated way, called dyssynchrony.
The characteristics inherited from parents. Heredity is often a risk factor for heart and blood vessel conditions. The heredity risk factor, unlike some other risk factors, cannot be changed.
Known as good cholesterol, HDL is a form of cholesterol that seems to protect against heart attack. The goal, during cholesterol testing, is to have a HDL level of 40 mg/dL or higher. Compare to Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL).
A test that uses a small recording device called a Holter monitor. The monitor tracks the heart’s electrical activity—the electrical signals that cause the heart to beat. A person wears a Holter monitor on a belt or a strap, while the device records all of heart’s electrical activity for 24-48 hours.
Too much cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that can build up in blood vessels, slowing and possibly blocking blood flow.
A chemical substance produced in a gland and moved, usually through the bloodstream, to another part of the body. Hormones affect how the body works. For example, see Insulin.
A machine used during open-heart surgeries in which the doctor needs to operate on a completely still heart. Blood is pumped out of the body and into the machine. The machine adds oxygen to the blood as the lungs would do. And it pumps blood back through the body as the heart would do.
An implantable device that monitors and corrects fast arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) using electrical energy. An ICD can stop fast arrhythmias with varying amounts of electrical energy—from very low energy pulses (which the person can’t feel) to high-energy shocks.
Within or entering a blood vessel. For instance, an IV line is a small tube attached to a needle. The needle is inserted into a blood vessel at the bend on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. Medications and fluids are given through the IV line.
A hormone that the body needs to convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy that the body’s cells can use. Many people with diabetes need to take insulin by injection (shot).
The body’s system of defenses against disease. As part of the immune system response, antibodies (protein substances) react against perceived foreign material like bacteria. After an organ transplant, the immune system can react to the new organ, which is seen as a foreign body. After a transplant, medications are often used to suppress the immune response.
A thin, insulated wire that both senses electrical signals in the heart and carries energy to the heart. Leads are used with cardiac devices to sense the heart’s signals and deliver therapy. Leads are also used during electrophysiology (EP) studies.
A thin, insulated wire that both senses electrical signals in the heart and carries energy to the heart. Leads are used with cardiac devices to sense the heart’s signals and deliver therapy. Leads are also used during electrophysiology (EP) studies.
A thin, insulated wire that both senses electrical signals in the heart and carries energy to the heart. Leads are used with cardiac devices to sense the heart’s signals and deliver therapy. Leads are also used during electrophysiology (EP) studies.
The heart valve (similar to a door) that opens to allow blood to flow out of the heart’s left atrium (upper chamber) and into the left ventricle (lower chamber).
An implanted cardiac device used to treat abnormally slow heartbeats (bradycardia). The device works along with leads thin coated wires that carry energy to the heart. The leads sense the heart rate and if the heart is too slow the pacemaker delivers tiny amounts of energy to the heart. (The electrical energy cannot be felt.) A pacemaker may be implanted if the heart’s natural pacemaker the sinoatrial node is not working properly.
Any blood vessel (artery or vein) outside of the heart.
A condition in which plaque builds up in the blood vessels outside of the heart. PVD makes blood vessels narrow and hard, and it can slow or even block blood flow. PVD often affects blood vessels in the neck or in the legs.
A substance that builds up in the blood vessels. Plaque is caused by a buildup of fatty deposits like cholesterol. Plaque can eventually narrow a blood vessel, slowing or even blocking blood flow.
Any blood vessel (artery or vein) outside of the heart.
For some devices, a way for the healthcare team to check heart health and specific device information while the patient is at home. A remote monitoring system uses a small piece of equipment that can sit on a bedside table to collect data from the implanted cardiac device. Data is collected on a daily or weekly basis depending on the type of device and physician preference. In most cases, it sends information through a standard analog phone line to a secure website that only the patient’s healthcare support team can access.
Backward flow. For instance, in heart valve disease, regurgitation occurs when a valve is unable to fully close. This allows some blood to flow back into the emptied heart chamber.
A small mesh tube implanted in a blood vessel, often a blockage has been cleared. The stent helps keep the blood vessel from becoming blocked again.
Damage to part of the brain caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the brain. A stroke is often caused by a blockage in a carotid artery in the neck.
A small mesh tube implanted in a blood vessel, often after a blockage has been cleared. The stent helps keep the blood vessel from becoming blocked again.
A type of electrocardiogram (ECG). The stress test, or exercise test, is done as the person’s heart rate increases (is stressed). Usually this is done with exercise, although sometimes medications are used to increase the heart rate. A s
A type of electrocardiogram (ECG). The stress test, or exercise test, is done as the person’s heart rate increases (is stressed). Usually this is done with exercise, although sometimes medications are used to increase the heart rate. A s
A cluster of specialized cells in the right atrium that prompts the heart to beat. The S-A node initiates the electrical signals that travel throughout the heart, causing the heart to contract (beat). The S-A node is often called the natural pacemaker of the heart.
The inability of the heart to beat, caused by an electrical problem in the heart—specifically, an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). A very fast and chaotic arrhythmia like ventricular fibrillation can cause the heart to quiver rather than beat, so no blood is pumped to the body. Also called a cardiac arrest, SCA requires immediate defibrillation, since sudden cardiac death can occur within just a few minutes.
A death that results from an electrical problem in the heart—specifically, an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). A very fast and chaotic arrhythmia like ventricular fibrillation can cause the heart to stop beating, called sudden cardiac arrest. If defibrillation is not available to shock the heart within just a few minutes, SCD occurs.
Anti-inflammatory medications. There are different types of steroids. The steroids used to treat some types of lung disease are called corticosteroids.
Damage to the heart muscle itself. Many heart conditions affect the heart muscle. For instance, high blood pressure eventually can cause the heart muscle to get weaker and the heart itself to enlarge. And a heart attack, for example, destroys a small part of the heart tissue.
A disruption in breathing during sleep. In obstructive sleep apnea, not enough air can get in through the nose or mouth. Excess weight can be one common cause of sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea are at higher risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Narrowing of a structure. For instance, stenosis of a heart valve means that the valve is not able to open as much as it should to allow blood to flow through. As a result, the heart has difficulty pumping blood effectively.
Fainting or briefly passing out. Most people wake up on their own after syncope, and it often does not indicate a serious health problem. However, for some people syncope is cardiac (heart) related, and it can be a symptom of a cardiac condition.
An abnormally fast heartbeat (over 100 beats per minute).
A fatty substance in the blood. Triglycerides, along with cholesterol (another fat-like substance), can build up in blood vessels, form plaque, and eventually block the blood vessels. A cholesterol test also checks the level of triglycerides in the blood.
Called a mini-stroke, a TIA involves only temporary stroke symptoms—and usually causes no lasting damage to the brain. But TIAs put a person at much greater risk for having a full-blown stroke.
The heart valve (similar to a door) that opens to allow blood to flow out of the heart’s right atrium (upper chamber) and into the right ventricle (lower chamber).
A small structure in the heart that opens, allows blood to flow out of a heart chamber, and then closes. There are four heart valves: two in the atria (upper chambers) and two in the ventricles (lower chambers).
A heart condition in which there is damage to one or more heart valves. If a heart valve thickens and does not fully open, called stenosis, blood flow is slowed. If a valve does not fully close, blood leaks back into the heart chamber, called regurgitation.
One of the two lower chambers of the heart. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, where oxygen is once again added to the blood. The left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The ventricles are the main pumping chambers of the heart.
One of the two lower chambers of the heart. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, where oxygen is once again added to the blood. The left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The ventricles are the main pumping chambers of the heart.
A very fast, chaotic arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). During VF the ventricles try to beat so fast—over 200-300 beats per minute—that they quiver rather than pump blood as they should. VF is a very dangerous arrhythmia, since it can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which—if untreated—can result in sudden cardiac death (SCD).
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