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Home > Conditions & Concerns > Specialties  > Cardiology > Glossary

Glossary

A

Abdominal Aorta

The portion of the aorta in the abdomen.

Ablation

Elimination, removal or destruction of tissue in the heart's conduction system to help manage Tachyarrhythmias (fast and/or irregular heart rhythms).

ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitor

A drug that lowers blood pressure by interfering with the breakdown of a protein-like substance involved in blood pressure regulation.

Alveoli

Air sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.

Aneurysm

A sac-like protrusion from a blood vessel or the heart, resulting from a weakening of the vessel wall or heart muscle.

Angina or Angina pectoris

Chest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.

Angiography

An X-ray technique that makes use of a dye injected into the coronary arteries to study blood circulation through the vessels.  The test allows physicians to measure the degrees of obstruction to blood flow. Circulation through an artery is not seriously reduced until the inside diameter of the vessel is more than 75 per cent obstructed.

Angioplasty

A non-surgical technique for treating diseased arteries by temporarily inflating a tiny balloon inside an artery.

Annulus

The ring around a heart valve where the valve leaflet merges with the heart muscle.

Anti-coagulant

Any drug that keeps blood from clotting; a blood thinner.

Anti-hypertensive

Any drug or other therapy that lowers blood pressure.

Aorta

The largest artery in the body and the initial blood-supply vessel from the heart.

Aortic valve

The valve that regulates blood flow from the heart into the aorta.

Aphasia

The inability to speak, write or understand spoken or written language because of brain injury or disease.

Arrhythmia (or Dysrhythmia)

Abnormal heartbeat.

Arterioles

Small, muscular branches of arteries.  When they contract, they increase resistance to blood flow, and blood pressure in the arteries increases.

Artery

A vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body.

Arteritis

Inflammation of the arteries.

Arteriosclerosis

A disease process, commonly called hardening of the arteries, which includes a variety of conditions that cause artery walls to thicken and lose elasticity.

Ascending aorta

The first portion of the aorta, emerging from the heart's left ventricle.

Atherectomy

A non-surgical technique for treating diseased arteries with a rotating device that cuts or shaves away obstructing material inside the artery.

Atherosclerosis

A disease process that leads to the accumulation of a waxy substance, called plaque, inside blood vessels.

Atria (Singular= Atrium)

The two upper or holding chambers of the heart. The right atrium pumps blood into the right ventricle, and the left atrium pumps blood into the left ventricle.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

A fast, irregular heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers (Atria) of the heart. The rate in the upper chambers (Atria) is greater than 300 beats per minute. The rate in the lower chambers (Ventricles) of the heart is usually irregular, and can be fast or slow, but is always less than the Atrial rate.

Atrial Septal defect

See Septal defect.

Atrioventricular block

An interruption or disturbance of the electrical signal between the heart's Atria (upper two chambers) and the Ventricles (lower two chambers).

Atrioventricular (AV) node

A group of cells located between the Atria (upper two chambers) and the Ventricles (lower two chambers) that regulates the electrical current (heart rhythm) that passes through it to the ventricles. When electrical signals leave the Sinoatrial (SA node), they travel through the AV node before moving on to the rest of the heart. The AV node helps keep the heart beating in a normal rhythm.

Atrium

Either one of the heart's two upper chambers.

B

Beta blocker

An Antihypertensive drug that limits the activity of Epinephrine, a hormone that increases blood pressure.

Biopsy

The process by which a small sample of tissue is taken for examination.

Blalock-Taussig procedure

Palliative shunt between the subclavian and pulmonary arteries used to increase the supply of oxygenated blood in "blue" babies.

Blood Clot

A jelly-like mass of blood tissue formed by clotting factors in the blood.  Clots stop the flow of blood from an injury; they can also form inside an artery whose walls are damaged by atherosclerotic build-up and can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Blood pressure

The force or pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries.

"Blue babies"

Babies who have a blue tinge to their skin (cyanosis) resulting from insufficient oxygen in the arterial blood.  This condition often indicates a heart defect.

Bradycardia

Abnormally slow heartbeat.

Bundle-branch block

A condition in which portions of the heart's conduction system are defective and unable to conduct the electrical signal normally, causing arrhythmias.