Angina (angina pectoris): A
pain or discomfort in the chest that occurs when some part of the heart
does not receive enough blood. It is a common symptom of coronary heart
disease. Angina often recurs in a regular or characteristic pattern.
However, it may first appear as a very severe episode or as frequently
recurring bouts. When an established stable pattern of angina changes
sharply—for example, it may be provoked by far less exercise than in
the past, or it may appear at rest—it is referred to as unstable
angina.
Angioplasty: A nonsurgical
procedure used to treat blockages in blood vessels, particularly the
coronary arteries that feed the heart. Also known as percutaneous
transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). A thin tube (catheter), fed
through blood vessels to the point of blockage, is used to open the
artery.
Anticoagulants: Drugs that
delay the clotting (coagulation) of blood. When a blood vessel is
plugged up by a clot and an anticoagulant is given, it tends to prevent
new clots from forming or the existing clot from enlarging. An
anticoagulant does not dissolve an existing blood clot.
Arrhythmia: A change in the regular beat or
rhythm of the heart. The heart may seem to skip a beat, or beat
irregularly, or beat very fast or very slowly.
Atherosclerosis: A type of
hardening of the arteries in which cholesterol and other substances in
the blood are deposited in the walls of arteries, including the coronary
arteries that supply blood to the heart. In time,narrowing of the
coronary arteries by atherosclerosis may reduce the flow of oxygen-rich
blood to the heart.
Atrial fibrillation (AF): The
most common sustained irregular heart rhythm encountered in clinical
practice. AF occurs when the two small upper chambers of the heart (the
atria) quiver instead of beating effectively, and blood cannot be pumped
completely out of them when the heart beats, allowing the blood to pool
and clot. If a piece of the blood clot in the atria becomes lodged in an
artery in the brain, a stroke may result. AF is a risk factor for stroke
and heart failure.
Blood pressure: The force of the blood
pushing against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is given as two
numbers that measure systolic pressure (the first number, which measures
the pressure while the heart is contracting) and diastolic pressure(the
second number, which measures the pressure when the heart is resting
between beats). Blood pressures 140/90 mmHg or above are considered
high, while blood pressures in the range of 130-139/85-89 are high
normal. Less than 130/85 mmHg is normal.
Body mass index (BMI): A number that
indicates a person’s body weight relative to height. BMI is a useful
indirect measure of body composition, because it correlates highly with
body fat in most people.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD): Includes a
variety of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, coronary heart
disease (coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease), stroke (brain
attack), high blood pressure (hypertension), rheumatic heart disease,
congestive heart failure, and peripheral artery disease.
Cerebrovascular disease: Affects the blood
vessels supplying blood to the brain. Stroke occurs when a blood vessel
bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a
blood clot. Because of this rupture or blockage, part of the brain does
not get the flow of blood it needs and nerve cells in the affected area
die. Small stoke-like events like transient ischemic attacks (ITAs),
which resolve in a day or less, are symptoms of cerebrovascular disease.
Cholesterol: A waxy substance
that circulates in the bloodstream. When the level of cholesterol in the
blood is too high, some of the cholesterol is deposited in the walls of
the blood vessels. Over time, these deposits can build up until they
narrow the blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis, which reduces the
blood flow. The higher the blood cholesterol level, the greater is the
risk of getting heart disease. Blood cholesterol levels of less than 200
mg/dL are considered desirable. Levels of 240 mg/dL or above are
considered high and require further testing and possible intervention.
Levels of 200-239 mg/dL are considered borderline. Lowering blood
cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease.
Congestive heart failure (or
heart failure): A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough
blood to meet the needs of the body's other organs. Heart failure can
result from narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle and
other factors. As the flow of blood out of the heart slows, blood
returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in
the tissues. Often swelling (edema) results, most commonly in the legs
and ankles, but possibly in other parts of the body as well. Sometimes
fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing
shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down.
Coronary heart disease (CHD):
A condition in which the flow of blood to the heart muscle is reduced.
Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and
nutrients that are carried to it by the blood in the coronary arteries.
When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged, they cannot
supply enough blood to the heart. If not enough oxygen-carrying blood
reaches the heart, the heart may respond with pain called angina. The
pain usually is felt in the chest or sometimes in the left arm or
shoulder. When the blood supply is cut off completely, the result is a
heart attack. The part of the heart muscle that does not receive oxygen
begins to die, and some of the heart muscle is permanently damaged.
Coronary stenting: A
procedure that uses a wire mesh tube (a stent) to prop open an artery
that recently has been cleared using angioplasty. The stent remains in
the artery permanently, holding it open to improve blood flow to the
heart muscle and relieve symptoms, such as chest pain.
HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
cholesterol: The so-called good cholesterol. Cholesterol travels in
the blood combined with protein in packages called lipoproteins. HDL is
thought to carry cholesterol away from other parts of the body back to
the liver for removal from the body. A low level of HDL increases the
risk for CHD, whereas a high HDL level helps protect against CHD.
Heart attack (also called acute
myocardial infarction): Occurs when a coronary artery becomes
completely blocked, usually by a blood clot (thrombus), resulting in
lack of blood flow to the heart muscle and therefore a loss of needed
oxygen. As a result, part of the heart muscle dies (infarcts). The blood
clot usually forms over the site of a cholesterol-rich narrowing (or
plaque) that has burst or ruptured.
Heart disease: The leading
cause of death and a common cause of illness and disability in the
United States. Coronary heart disease and ischemic heart disease are
specific names for the principal form of heart disease, which is the
result of atherosclerosis, or the buildup of cholesterol deposits in the
coronary arteries that feed the heart.
High blood pressure: A
systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or greater or a diastolic pressure
of 90 mmHg or greater. With high blood pressure, the heart has to work
harder, resulting in an increased risk of a heart attack, stroke, heart
failure, kidney and eye problems, and peripheral vascular disease.
Ischemic heart disease:
Includes heart attack and related heart problems caused by narrowing of
the coronary arteries and therefore a decreased supply of blood and
oxygen to the heart. Also called coronary artery disease and coronary
heart disease.
LDL (low-density lipoprotein):
The so-called bad cholesterol. LDL contains most of the cholesterol in
the blood and carries it to the tissues and organs of the body,
including the arteries. Cholesterol from LDL is the main source of
damaging buildup and blockage in the arteries. The higher the level of
LDL in the blood, the greater is the risk for CHD.
Lipid: Fat and fat-like
substances, such as cholesterol, that are present in blood and body
tissues.
Peripheral vascular disease:
Refers to diseases of any blood vessels outside the heart and to
diseases of the lymph vessels. It is often a narrowing of the blood
vessels that carry blood to leg and arm muscles. Symptoms include leg
pain (for example, in the calves) when walking and ulcers or sore on the
legs and feet.
Stroke: A form of
cerebrovascular disease that affects the arteries of the central nervous
system. A stroke occurs when blood vessels bringing oxygen and nutrients
to the brain burst or become clogged by a blood clot or some other
particle. Because of this rupture or blockage, part of the brain does
not get the flow of blood it needs. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells in
the affected area of the brain cannot function and die within minutes.
When nerve cells cannot function, the part of the body controlled by
these cells cannot function either.
