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Heart Disease Glossary

Terms used to explain Heart Disease can sometimes be confusing. To help you fully understand the articles and features related to this very important health topic, we have compiled a glossary of terms that can help.

Angioplasty

an*gio*plas*ty
Pronunciation: \ˈan-jē-ə-ˌplas-tē\

Function: noun
pl -ties
: surgical repair or recanalization of a blood vessel; esp: see: balloon angioplasty

CABG

CABG
Pronunciation: \ˈkab-ij\

Function: abbreviation
coronary artery bypass graft

CAD

CAD
Function: abbreviation
coronary artery disease

CHF

CHF
Function: abbreviation
congestive heart failure

CVD

CVD
Function: abbreviation
cardiovascular disease

Clot-buster

clot–bust*er
Pronunciation: \ˈklät-ˌbəs-tər\

Function: noun
: a drug (as streptokinase or tissue plasminogen activator) used to dissolve blood clots

Coronary Artery

coronary artery
Function: noun
: either of two arteries that arise one from the left and one from the right side of the aorta immediately above the semilunar valves and supply the tissues of the heart itself

Diastolic Blood Pressure

diastolic blood pressure
Function: noun
: the lowest arterial blood pressure of a cardiac cycle occurring during diastole of the heart —called also diastolic pressure, compare systolic blood pressure

Electrocardiogram

elec*tro*car*dio*gram
Pronunciation: \-ˈkärd-ē-ə-ˌgram\

Function: noun
: the tracing made by an electrocardiograph; also: the procedure for producing an electrocardiogram

High Blood Pressure

high blood pressure
Function: noun
: see: hypertension

Lipoprotein

li*po*pro*tein
Pronunciation: \-ˈprō-ˌtēn, -ˈprōt-ē-ən\

Function: noun
1: any of a large class of conjugated proteins composed of a complex of protein and lipid see hdl ldl vldl

Mitral Valve

mitral valve
Function: noun
: a valve in the heart that guards the opening between the left atrium and the left ventricle, prevents the blood in the ventricle from returning to the atrium, and consists of two triangular flaps attached at their bases to the fibrous ring which surrounds the opening and connected at their margins with the ventricular walls by the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles —called also bicuspid valve, left atrioventricular valve

Myocardial Infarction

myocardial infarction
Function: noun
: see: heart attack

Systolic Blood Pressure

systolic blood pressure
Function: noun
: the highest arterial blood pressure of a cardiac cycle occurring immediately after systole of the left ventricle of the heart —called also systolic pressure, compare diastolic blood pressure

Triglyceride

tri*glyc*er*ide
Pronunciation: \(ˈ)trī-ˈglis-ə-ˌrīd\

Function: noun
: any of a group of lipids that are esters formed from one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of one or more fatty acids, are widespread in adipose tissue, and commonly circulate in the blood in the form of lipoproteins —called also neutral fat

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