ANASTOMOSIS

a·nas·to·mo·ses

1: a communication between blood vessels

 2: the surgical union of parts and especially hollow tubular parts

EX: anastomosis of the ureter and colon is surgically practicable

ANEURYSM

an·eu·rysm

an abnormal blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel and especially an artery resulting from disease of the vessel wall 

ANGINA PECTORIS

an·gi·na pec·to·ris

a disease marked by brief paroxysmal attacks of chest pain precipitated by deficient oxygenation of the heart muscles

ANTIDIURETIC

an·ti·di·uret·ic

AORTA

a-or´tah

the great artery arising from the left ventricle that carries blood from the heart to be distributed by branch arteries through the body 

ARTERIOSCLEROSIS

ar·te·rio·scle·ro·sis

a chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with resulting in loss of elasticity of the arterial wall

ARRHYTHMIA

ar·rhyth·mia

an alteration in rhythm of the heartbeat either in time or force

ARTERIAL ANASTOMOSIS

Any end-to-end or end-to-side joining of one artery to another

ATHERECTOMY

ath·er·ec·to·my

surgical removal of atheromatous plaque from within a blood vessel by threading a catheter with a rotating cutting blade through blood vessels to the point of the lesion and using the blade to shave away the plaque

BETA BLOCKERS

be·ta-block·er

any of a group of drugs that combine with and block the activity of a beta-receptor to decrease the heart rate and force of contractions and lower high blood pressure and that are used especially to treat hypertension, angina pectoris, and ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias

BRACHIAL ARTERY

the chief artery of the upper arm that is a direct continuation of the axillary artery and divides into the radial and ulnar arteries just below the elbow

BRADYCARDIA

brad·y·car·di·a

A slowness of the heartbeat, usually under 60 beats per minute in adults.

CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS

any of a class of drugs that prevent or slow the influx of calcium ions into smooth muscle cells especially of the heart and that are used especially to treat some forms of angina pectoris and some cardiac arrhythmias

CAPILLARY

the smallest blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules (These vessels receive blood from the arterioles and deliver blood to the venules) and forming networks throughout the body

CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS

An irregular heart rate or rhythm.

CARDITIS

car·di·tis

inflammation of the heart muscle

CARIDOMEGALY

car·di·o·meg·a·ly

enlargement of the heart

CLAUDICATION

clau·di·ca·tion

 the quality or state of being lame

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

heart failure in which the heart is unable to maintain adequate circulation of blood in the tissues of the body or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by the venous circulation

CONDUCTION

The transmission or conveying of something through a medium or passage, especially the transmission of electric charge or heat through a conducting medium.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

(CAD)

a condition and especially one caused by atherosclerosis that reduces the blood flow through the coronary arteries to the heart muscle and typically results in chest pain or heart damage.

CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT

(CABG)

A surgical procedure in which a section of vein or other conduit is grafted between the aorta and a coronary artery below the region of an obstruction in that artery.

CORONARY ISCHEMIA

 occurs when blood flow to your heart muscle is decreased by a partial or complete blockage of an artery that carries blood to the heart.

CORONARY THROMBOSIS

the blocking of a coronary artery of the heart by a thrombus

CYANOSIS

cy·a·no·sis

a bluish or purplish discoloration (as of skin) due to deficient oxygenation of the blood

DIURESIS

increased excretion of urine

EDEMA

an abnormal excess accumulation of serous fluid in connective tissue or in a serous cavity

EFFLUX

the action or process of flowing or seeming to flow out

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

(ECG or EKG)

a graphic tracing of the variations in electrical potential caused by the excitation of the heart muscle and detected at the body surface. 

EMBOLI

em·bo·li

 A foreign object, quantity of air or gas, bit of tissue or tumor, or piece of a thrombus that circulates in the bloodstream until it becomes lodged in a vessel.

**plural of embolus**

ENDOCARDITIS

en·do·car·di·tis

inflammation of the lining of the heart and its valves

ERYTHROPOIETIN (EPO)

e·ryth·ro·poi·e·tin

a hormonal substance that is formed especially in the kidney and stimulates red blood cell formation

ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

a common form of hypertension that occurs in the absence of any evident cause

HEART FAILURE

 1: a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume

2: cessation of heartbeat 

HEART MURMUR

an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality

HEMORRHOIDS

 a mass of dilated veins in swollen tissue at the margin of the anus or nearby within the rectum—usually used in plural; called also piles

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

hy·per·cho·les·ter·ol·emia

the presence of excess cholesterol in the blood

HYPERTENSION

abnormally elevated arterial blood pressure

HYPOXIA

Deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues.

INFLUX

inward flow

INTERATRIAL SEPTUM

the wall separating the right and left atria of the heart

**also known as atrial septum**

MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE

(MVP)

a valvular heart disorder in which one or both mitral valve flaps close incompletely during systole usually producing either a click or murmur and sometimes minor mitral regurgitation

**also known as Barlow's syndrome**

MITRAL VALVULITIS

mi·tral val·vu·li·tis

inflammation of the mitral valve of the heart

MURMUR

An abnormal sound heard on auscultation of the heart, lungs, or blood vessels.

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

1: necrosis of a region of the myocardium caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the heart, usually as a result of occlusion of a coronary artery.

2: heart attack

OCCLUSION

 a shutting off or obstruction of something

PALPITATIONS

an abnormally rapid or irregular beating or pulsation of the heart

PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

(PDA)

an abnormal condition in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth

PERMEABILITY

per·me·abil·i·ty

 the property or state of being permeable.

PERICARDITIS

peri·car·di·tis

inflammation of the pericardium

PERICARDIOCENTESIS

peri·car·dio·cen·te·sis

surgical puncture of the pericardium especially to aspirate pericardial fluid

PHLEBOTOMY

phle·bot·o·my

The act or practice of opening a vein by incision or puncture to remove blood

PULMONARY ARTERY

an arterial trunk or either of its two main branches (right & left sides) that carry oxygen-deficient (venous) blood to the lungs

**also known as the pulmonary trunk

RAYNAUD PHENOMENON

ray·noz phe·nom·e·non

a vascular disorder characterized by recurrent spasms of the capillaries especially those of the fingers and toes resulting in discoloration of the skin

SPHYGMOMANOMETER

sphyg·mo·ma·nom·e·ter

an instrument for measuring blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure

SHOCK

a profound hemodynamic and metabolic disturbance due to failure of the circulatory system to maintain adequate perfusion of vital organs.

STROKE

sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain

TETRALOGY of FALLOT

te·tral·o·gy of Fal·lo

a congenital abnormality of the heart characterized by pulmonary stenosis, an opening in the interventricular septum, malposition of the aorta over both ventricles, and hypertrophy of the right ventricle

THROMBUS

a clot of blood formed within a blood vessel and remaining attached to its place of origin

THROMBOLYSIS

throm·bol·y·ses

destroying or breaking up a thrombus 

SINOATRIAL NODE

(S-A node)

A small mass of specialized cardiac muscle fibers located in the posterior wall of the right atrium of the heart that acts as a pacemaker by generating at regular intervals the electric impulses of the heartbeat.

**also known as S-A node, sinus node**

TRANSMEMBRANE POTENTIAL

the potential difference between the interior of a cell and the interstitial fluid beyond the membrane

TACHYCARDIA

tachy·car·dia

a rapid beating of the heart

VARICOSE VEINS

1: an abnormal swelling and tortuosity especially of a superficial vein of the legs

2: veins that have become enlarged and twisted

VALVULAR HEART DISEASE

(VHD)

any disease process involving one or more of the valves of the heart (the aortic and mitral valves on the left and the pulmonary and tricuspid valves on the right).

VALVULOPLASTY

val·vu·lo·plas·ty

plastic surgery performed on a heart valve

VASODILATION

va·so·di·la·tion

widening of the lumen of blood vessels

VENA CAVA

either of two large veins by which the blood is returned to the right atrium of the heart