Heart Glossary
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
Heart Glossary
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
A drug used to decrease pressure inside blood vessels.
Arrhythmia
An irregular heartbeat.
Cardiomyoplasty
A surgical procedure that involves detaching one end of a back muscle and attaching it to the heart. An electric stimulator causes the muscle to contract to pump blood from the heart.
Congestive heart failure
A heart disease symptom that involves loss of pumping ability by the heart, generally accompanied by fluid accumulation in body tissues, especially the lungs.
Diastolic heart failure
Inability of the heart to relax properly and fill with blood as a result of stiffening of the heart muscle.
Dyspnea
Shortness of breath.
Echocardiography
Recording sound waves bounced off the heart to produce images of the heart.
Edema
Abnormal fluid accumulation in body tissues.
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
Measurement of electrical activity associated with heartbeats.
Heart failure
Loss of blood-pumping ability by the heart.
Left ventricular assist device
A mechanical device used to increase the heart's pumping ability.
Pulmonary congestion (or edema)
Fluid accumulation in the lungs.
Sudden cardiac death
Cardiac arrest caused by an irregular heartbeat.
Systolic heart failure
Inability of the heart to contract with enough force to pump adequate amounts of blood through the body.
Valves
Flap-like structures that control the direction of blood flow through the heart.
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