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GLOSSARY - HEART TERMS

A-C | D-G | F-H | I-L | M-O | P-S | T-W | X-Z

What does that mean? – a guide to all the technical terms

A-C

Ablation

Getting rid of or removal

ACE or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

A medication that lowers blood pressure by interfering with the breakdown of a protein-like substance involved in regulating blood pressure. An ACE inhibitor can also help the heart to pump better

Alveoli

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

Amiodarone (CordaroneX)

A anti-arrhythmic medication used to treat abnormal or irregular heart rhythms

Aneurysm

A sac-like bulge in a blood vessel or the heart. It causes the vessel wall of the aorta to weaken, and if it bursts (dissects) it can cause massive internal blood loss resulting in death. If the aneurysm is in a blood vessel in the brain, it can cause a haemorrhage which is a type of stroke. Aneurysms of the left ventricle can occur in people with congenital heart disease, but these are rather different to LV aneurysms caused by a heart attack, and tend to be more stable than aortic or brain aneurysms

Angiography or cardiac catheterisation

An X-ray technique where dye is injected into the chambers of your heart or the arteries that feed your heart (called the coronary arteries). The test lets doctors measure the blood flow and blood pressure in the heart chambers and see if the coronary arteries are blocked. Catheters are also used in EPS and catheter ablations

Angiotensin II receptor blocker

A medicine that lowers blood pressure by blocking the action of angiotensin II, a chemical in the body that causes the blood vessels to constrict

Annulus

The ring around a heart valve where the valve leaflet (like a flap) merges with the heart muscle

Anti-arrhythmic

Medicines used to treat patients who have abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

Anticoagulant

A medicine that makes it take a longer time for blood to clot; making it harder to form unwanted blood clots; sometimes people call it a blood thinner

Antihypertensive

Any medicine or therapy that lowers blood pressure

Aorta

The largest artery in the body and the main vessel that blood from the heart goes through

Aortic stenosis

An abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve.  This limits blood flow from the heart into the aorta (main artery leaving the heart)

Aortic valve

The valve that opens to let blood flow from the heart into the aorta

Arrhythmia or dysrhythmia

An abnormal heartbeat or rhythm

Artery

A vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body

Arterial Duct or ductus arteriosus

A blood vessel that joins the aorta and pulmonary artery in an un-born baby

Ascending aorta

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

Ascending to descending aorta bypass graft

A tube made of synthetic material sewn into the aorta before and after a narrowing. This tube bypasses an obstruction, enabling blood to flow through the tube to be delivered to the lower body

Aspirin or Acetylsalicylic acid

A medicine used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and prevent blood clots. It's an anti-platelet drug that tries to prevent the platelets from 'sticking' together in your blood and forming a clot

Atrium (right and left)

The two upper chambers of the heart (people refer to them together as 'atria')

Atrial flutter

A heart rhythm from the atria called atrial flutter. It is when electrical impulses come from the atria and circle round it, causing about a very fast atrial rhythm - about 300 electrical signals go to the AV node every minute from the atria. Because the AV node can't let the ventricles beat that fast, it blocks some of the impulses.

The most common atrial flutter is with a 2:1 block which means the heart beats about 150 times per minute because one electrical signal will have been blocked for every one allowed through to the ventricles. It is a regular rhythm.

Atria

See atrium

Atrial fibrillation

The most common type of arrhythmia. It is where the upper chambers of the heart (atria) don't contract very well due to the atria giving out chaotic electrical signals The bottom of the heart (ventricles) contracts in an irregular rhythm causing an irregular heartbeat. This is because it only receives some of the signals from the top of the heart, as the AV node stops some from getting through.

It can increase the risk of stroke and enlargement of the heart if not controlled well

Atrial septal defect

A hole in the wall of the heart (septum) that separates the atria

Atrial tachycardia

A type of arrhythmia that begins in the heart's upper chambers (called the atria). It causes a fast heart rate of over 100 beats a minute. A normal resting heart rate is roughly 60 to 100 beats a minute

Atrioventricular block

A disturbance of the electrical signal between the heart's upper two chambers (called the atria) and lower two chambers (called the ventricles). An Av block ranges from a first degree block to a third degree block

Atrioventricular (AV) node

A group of cells in the heart located between the upper two chambers (called the atria) and the lower two chambers (called the ventricles) that the electrical current goes through to get from the top to the bottom of the heart. The AV node helps to keep the heart beating at a normal rate and rhythm.

Atherosclerosis

1. A condition where the fatty build up inside an artery wall hardens. This can cause narrowing in those places so the blood finds it harder to get through.

Pieces of atherosclerotic plaque can then break off, blood cells try to heal the artery wall, and this can cause heart attacks(in a coronary artery) and strokes(in a cerebral artery)

Bacteria

Germs that can lead to disease

Bacterial endocarditis

A bacterial infection of the lining of the heart's chambers (called the endocardium) or of the heart's valves

Balloon angioplasty

A small balloon loaded into a catheter that is inserted into an artery in the groin (that's the inside of the top of the thigh). The catheter goes into the aorta and the balloon is inflated in the narrowed part of the artery to open up the narrowing

Balloon catheter

A long thin tube-like device with a small balloon on the end that can be threaded through an artery and then the balloon is inflated. Used in angioplasty or valvuloplasty

Balloon valvuloplasty

A procedure to repair a heart valve. A balloon catheter is threaded through an artery and into the heart. The balloon is inflated to open and separate any narrowed or stiffened Leaflets of a valve. The catheter and deflated balloon are removed after the procedure

Beta-blocker

An antihypertensive medicine that limits the activity of a hormone called epinephrine and so reduces the workload of the heart. It also reduces blood pressure.

Biopsy

The process where a small sample of tissue is taken for examination

Blalock-Tausig procedure

A shunt between the subclavian and pulmonary arteries used to increase the supply of oxygen-rich blood in babies who are blue

Blood clot

A jelly-like mass of blood cells formed by clotting pathways in the blood. Clots stop the flow of blood from an injury. Clots can also form inside an artery when the artery's walls are damaged by atherosclerotic build-up, possibly causing a heart attack or stroke

Blood pressure

This is the force or pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries

Body mass index or BMI

A number that describes how heavy someone is for their size. It can be used to find out if there is a risk of a person getting cardiovascular disease due to them being overweight. BMI is calculated using a formula of weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared The formula is: Weight in Kg / Height m2 = BMI

Bradycardia

A heart rate that is below 60 beats per minute so is slower than normal.

Brugada syndrome

This is an inherited condition called an ion channelopathy. It affects mostly young men. It is rare in the West but more common in young men in South East Asia. It affects the sodium channels in the heart, and fatal arrhythmia can occur. People tend to die in their sleep. If an ECG shows Brugada syndrome then an ICD is usually fitted to prevent SADS.

Bubble Study

A small tube is placed in the left arm or hand and a mixture of blood, bubbles and water is injected into the vein, if bubbles are seen crossing through the septum of the heart on an echocardiogram then doctors know there is a hole in the wall of the heart

Bundle branch block

A condition in which one of the parts of the heart's conduction system has a block and is unable to conduct the electrical signal normally, causing a slight delay in conduction through the ventricles.It does not cause symptoms on its own. It does not require treatment but your cardiologist will keep an eye on it

Bypass

Surgery that can improve blood flow to the heart or other organs and tissues by providing a new route, or 'bypass' around a section of clogged or diseased artery

Capillaries

Microscopically small blood vessels connecting arteries and veins that allow the exchange of nourishment and waste products in the body

Cardiac

A word used when people are talking about things to do with the heart

Cardiac arrest

The heart stopping pumping, due to an electrical disturbance. Usually something has caused the electrical disturbance though, such as a heart attack. Without resuscitation, death occurs

Cardiac catheterisation

A procedure that involves inserting a thin, hollow tube called a catheter into an artery, usually at the inside of the top of your thigh, and passing the tube into the heart. Sometimes the catheters are placed in the wrist or neck. Often used for angiography and other procedures including EPS, cardiac catheterisation is the main tool for visualizing the heart chambers and blood vessels and for diagnosing and treating heart disease

Cardiac output

The amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in one minute. It depends upon the volume of blood in each heart beat and how many times in the minute the heart beats.

Cardiologist

A doctor who specialises in the diagnosis of heart diseases and their treatment

Cardiology

The specialism of understanding and treating heart diseases

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR

The emergency procedure of doing chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation that tries to bring someone back to life. The person who performs CPR actually helps the patient's circulatory system by breathing into the patient's mouth to give them oxygen and by giving chest compressions to circulate their blood

Cardioversion

Cardioversion is where a mild electrical current is used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm, this is done in hospital  under a very short acting general anaesthetic.

Cardiomyopathy

A disease of the heart muscle that leads to generalized deterioration of the muscle and its ability to pump

Carotid artery

A major artery (right and left) in the neck supplying blood to the brain

Caesarean section

A surgical incision through the abdominal wall and uterus, performed to deliver a baby

Cholesterol

A molecule that acts as a transporter of nutrients to the cells. It occurs naturally in the body, but most of it is made from the foods we eat. Cholesterol is made from saturated fats such as animal fats and in high fat dairy products such as hard cheese and cream. If there is too much cholesterol in the body, then what the body doesn't need is transported in the blood and left in the arteries. Small amounts are needed for the normal development of cell membranes, but having high cholesterol levels increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes

Circulatory system

The heart, blood vessels, and circulation of blood

Claudication

A heaviness or pain in the legs and arms because not enough oxygen gets to the muscles, usually because of narrowed arteries

Conduction system

Special muscle fibres and cells that conduct electrical impulses throughout the heart muscle

Congenital

This word used for conditions that a person is born with

Congenital heart defects

Problems with the heart or major blood vessels that a person is born with

Congestive heart failure

A condition in which the heart can't pump out all of the blood returning to it, leading to a backup of blood in the vessels and an accumulation of fluid in the body's tissues, including the lungs

Coronary artery bypass grafts or CABG

Surgical rerouting of blood around a diseased vessel that supplies blood to the heart. It's done by grafting either a piece of vein from the leg or the artery from under the breastbone

Cryoablation

The removal of tissue using an instrument called a cold probe to freeze tissue and destroy it by using very cold temperatures

CT scanner

A scan that is like one continuous X-ray rather than lots of small ones. Like an X-ray, it is painless. The CT machine takes a lot of pictures of your body from different angles. These pictures are fed into a computer that puts them together to give a series of cross sections or 'slices' through the part of the body being scanned. To have this, you lie on a special bed and the scanner moves over you

Cyanosis

Blueness of the skin and lips caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood

Cyanotic heart disease

A heart condition that people can be born with. It causes oxygen-poor (blue) blood to pump out to the body without first passing through the lungs where it should have picked up oxygen (red blood)

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D-G

Deep vein thrombosis

A blood clot in a deep vein in the calf or thigh

Defibrillator

A machine that helps restore a normal heart rhythm by delivering an electric shock

De-oxygenated

Means oxygen has been removed.

Diastolic blood pressure

The lowest blood pressure measured in the arteries. It occurs when the heart muscle is relaxed between beats

DiGeorge Syndrome

A rare disease that some people are born with. The symptoms vary but often people have recurring infections and heart defects. Quite often people who have this condition have similar facial features. It is caused by a large deletion from chromosome 22, and is also known as 22q11 deletion

Diuretic

A drug that lowers blood pressure by reducing the amount of fluid in your body by making you pee more

Doppler ultrasound

A technology that uses sound waves to see the blood flow within the heart and blood vessels. It can identify leaking valves

Ductus arteriosus

Before a baby is born, the ductus arteriosus is an opening connecting the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch that allows most of the blood from the right ventricle to bypass the foetus's fluid-filled lungs. It should close up within 24 hours after birth as the lungs are then used.

Ductus venosus

Before a baby is born, this is an opening that shunts the blood from the umbilical vein up to the inferior vena cava. This means that the oxygen rich blood comes from the placenta (the baby's blood supply) and is pushed up to the heart and brain. It bypasses the liver while it is developing. It stops working minutes after birth, and closes within a few days

Dyspnoea

Shortness of breath

Echocardiography

A method of studying the heart's structure and function by looking at sound waves that are bounced off the heart and recorded by an electronic sensor placed on the chest. A computer processes the information to produce moving picture that shows how the heart and heart valves are functioning

Eisenmenger complex

The term used to describe the effects of prolonged pulmonary hypertension in patients with uncorrected congenital heart defects

Electrocardiogram or ECG

A test in which several electronic sensors are placed on the body to monitor electrical activity. Electrical activity tells the heart when to beat.

Electrophysiologist

A cardiologist who specialises in the electrical system of the heart

Electrophysiological study or EPS

A test that uses cardiac catheterization to study patients who have abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias. An electrical current stimulates the heart to provoke an arrhythmia, in a safe controlled setting. EPS is used to identify the origin of arrhythmias and to then to decide on the most suitable treatment.

Embolism

A blood clot that forms in a blood vessel in one part of the body and travels to another part

Endocardium

The smooth membrane covering the inside of the heart

Endothelium

The smooth tissue lining many body structures, including the heart (endocardium) and blood vessels

Endocarditis

A bacterial infection of the heart's inner lining, which may be the inside of heart valve

Epicardium

The thin membrane covering the outside surface of the heart muscle

Exercise test

A test that helps doctors assess blood flow through coronary arteries when a person is exercising, usually walking on a treadmill, at varied speeds and for various lengths of time. It can also assess people with cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. An exercise test may include use of electrocardiography, echocardiography, and injected radioactive substances. It is also called a stress test, or treadmill test

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F-H

First-degree heart block

When an electrical impulse from the heart's upper chambers called the atria is delayed as it moves from the atria through the atrioventricular (AV) node to the ventricles. It does not cause symptoms and is only important if other types of heart blocks are starting to happen as well. On its own it just needs keeping an eye on regularly. No treatment is needed

Foramen Ovale

In un-born babies and newborns, the foramen ovale allows blood to enter the left atrium from the right atrium. In most individuals, the foramen ovale closes within the first few weeks after birth. If it remains open it is called a patent foramen ovale (PFO)

Genes

Genes hold the information which tells us what the colour of our hair will be how we grow and if we are prone to certain diseases and are inherited from our parents.

Geneticist

A scientist who studies genes. There are also doctors and health professionals working in genetic testing and counselling. Genes are like an information manual for how our bodies build our cells. If there is genetic flaw then particular cells might not work properly. For example in long QT syndrome the cells in the heart have defective genes so they don't behave as they should. We inherit genes from our parents, which is why genetic problems can be handed down

Genetic testing

Tests that can show a person's genes to find out if he or she is at risk of developing certain diseases that are passed down through family members through inheriting their genes

Heart assist device

A mechanical device that is surgically implanted so that the heart doesn't have to work so hard

Heart attack

Damage to part of the heart muscle caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood because a blood clot is blocking off one of the coronary arteries

Heart block

A term for conditions in which the electrical impulse that makes the heart pump is delayed or interrupted somewhere along its path

Heart disease

 Any disorder that affects the heart.

Heart failure

See congestive heart failure

Heart-lung machine

A machine that pumps someone's own blood around their body during open heart surgery. Also called a cardiopulmonary bypass machine

Heart murmur

An abnormal heart sound caused by turbulent or abnormal blood flow. The sound may indicate that blood is flowing through a narrowed or leaking heart valve, that there may be a hole in the septum, or that there is a narrowing in one of the heart vessels.. Some heart murmurs are harmless - they're called innocent heart murmurs, and they are common in children. They usually don't need treatment and go away by themselves

Heredity

Passing down genes from parent to child. We inherit a mixture of genes through our parents. If an inherited gene is defective then that can cause certain diseases.

High blood pressure

An increase in blood pressure above its normal range. Above 140/85mmHg.

Holter monitor

A portable device for recording heartbeats over a period of 24 hours or more

Hormones

Natural chemicals released into the bloodstream that control different functions in the body, including metabolism, growth, sexual development, and responses to stress or illness

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM, HOCM)

HCM is often genetically passed on from parent to child. It's a thickening of the heart muscle that is not caused by being an athlete or high blood pressure. The Muscle cells do not lie in their proper pattern and become thicker thickening occurs. The thickening can cause blood flow to be reduced. Symptoms vary

Hypertrophy

Thickening of tissues or organs because of increased workload, or due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hyperventilation

Rapid breathing usually caused by anxiety. People feel like they can't get enough air, so they breathe heavily and rapidly, which can lead to numb or tingly arms and legs, or feeling dizzy and breathless

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I-L

Idiopathic

The word for things that have no known cause

Imaging

See Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator or ICD

A small device placed in the chest which has leads going into the heart. The leads detect life threatening arrhythmias and can deliver an electric shock to restore the normal heart rhythm. ICDs can also pace the heart - see pacemaker

Incompetent valve

A valve that is not working properly, causing it to leak blood back in the wrong direction (regurgitation)

Infarct

The area of heart tissue with permanently damaged cells after a heart attack.

Infective endocarditis

A dangerous infection of the heart valves and the innermost lining of the heart called the endocardium, caused by bacteria in the bloodstream

Inferior vena cava

The large vein returning blood from the legs and abdomen to the heart

Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is a small device placed in the upper part of the chest under the skin, wires lead into the heart and detect abnormal rhythms which can cause the heart to stop pumping.  The ICD then shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm.  Some ICDs also “pace” the heart and will speed up the heart if it goes to slow or slow it down if it goes to fast.

Interposition graft

The narrowed portion of aorta is cut out and synthetic material is used to connect the ends

Ion channelopathies

Rare genetic conditions that cause defects of the DNA. An ion channel is the way that ions such as sodium or potassium go in and out of the heart muscle cells. Chemicals like this cause an electrical charge in the heart which is part of making the heart beat, so they are very important. If these channels are not working as they should, then electrical problems can occur in the heart, which can cause serious arrhythmias

Jugular veins

The veins that carry blood back from the head to the heart

Keyhole surgery

This is where an internal surgical operation is carried out through a very small opening made by making a small cut through the skin, muscle and fat.  The surgeon puts a fibre optic camera through the opening, which projects on to a screen in the operating room. This shows the surgeon what he is doing and guides him in the operation.  Key hole surgery can mean you recover more quickly from your operation and spend less time in hospital.

Left ventricular assist device or LVAD

A mechanical device that can be placed outside the body or implanted within the body. An LVAD does not fully replace the heart, but it helps to support the LV to pump oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body

Long QT syndrome or LQTS

A hereditary disorder of the heart's electrical rhythm that can occur in people with otherwise healthy hearts. It is an ion channelopathy. It's often undetected unless there's a family history. It can cause SADS and often affects people when they are young. People with LQTS may not have any symptoms

The QT interval is on an ECG. It means that the heart is vulnerable to electrical signals reaching the ventricles at the wrong time, when it is having a rest and is vulnerable. This can trigger a fatal arrhythmia for some people with LQTS. The risk from LQTS can happen more during physical exercise, when they are upset or frightened, or when startled by a noise. This can cause sudden death. In one type of inherited LQTS, the person may also become deaf

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M-O

Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI

A technique that uses a magnetic field to produce images of the heart and other parts of the body. MRIs can produce detailed pictures of the heart and its various structures without the need to inject a dye or use x-rays. Cannot be used if someone has an ICD or pacemaker

Marfan syndrome

A genetically inherited condition affecting the connective tissues. These are the tissues that hold structures in our bodies together. Marfan syndrome can affect the heart by causing aortic aneurysms especially around the aortic root.

People with this condition also have a greater risk of having a lung collapse (pneumothorax) due to the problems in the connective tissue in the lungs

Maze surgery

A type of heart surgery that is used to treat chronic atrial fibrillation by creating a surgical 'maze' of new electrical pathways to let impulses travel easily through the heart. It's also called the Maze procedure. It is only done when other open heart surgery is being done, as the risk of doing open heart surgery just to do maze would usually be bigger than the benefits.

Mitral stenosis

A narrowing of the mitral valve, which controls blood flow from the heart's upper left chamber called the left atrium to its lower left chamber called the left ventricle. It can be due to a congenital problem or from rheumatic fever, or occur as people become much older

Mitral valve

The 'doorway' that controls blood flow between the heart's left atrium called the upper chamber and left ventricle called the lower chamber

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP)

A condition that occurs when the leaflets (or flaps) of the mitral valve between the left atrium or upper chamber and the left ventricle or lower chamber, bulge upwards when the ventricle squeezes the blood round the body. A MVP sometimes allows blood to leak backwards. This is quite a common condition; about one in 500 people have it in the general population

Mitral valve regurgitation

Failure of the mitral valve to close properly, causing blood to flow back (leak) into the heart's upper left chamber called the left atrium, instead of moving forward into the lower left chamber called the left ventricle

Murmur

Unusual heart sounds. They are caused by congenital defects or damaged heart valves that do not close properly and allow blood to leak back into the chamber from where it comes from

Myocardium

The heart muscle

Non-invasive procedures

Any procedure that helps doctors find out what is wrong with a person that doesn't include putting things inside the body. For example an echocardiogram is non-invasive, it is done on the outside of the body, and there are no needles or tubes. A transoesophageal echo is invasive as a tube is put down your throat. Hospital staff try to be as non-invasive as they can so it is more pleasant for their patients

Obesity

The condition of being very overweight. Usually, this term is used for people who are 30 percent or more over ideal body weight. Obesity puts a strain on the heart and can increase the chance of developing high blood pressure and diabetes

Oedema

Swelling caused by the build up of fluid in body tissues, most commonly this is seen in the ankles or abdomen

Open heart surgery

An operation in which the chest and heart are opened surgically while the bloodstream is usually diverted through a heart-lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machine

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P-S

Pacemaker

A surgically implanted electronic device that helps regulate the heartbeat if it is too slow or too fast

paradoxical embolism

A blood clot in an artery which originally comes from a vein and gets into the artery through an opening in the wall of the heart. This blood clot can cause strokes

Patch augmentation

A narrowed portion of aorta which is opened and a patch sewn in to enlarge it. Sometimes it's used in other types of heart surgery

Palpitation

An uncomfortable feeling within the chest when the heart beats. This can be due to normal heart rhythms as well as abnormal.

Patent ductus arteriosus

A congenital defect in which the opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery does not close after birth

Pericardium

The outer fibrous sac that surrounds the heart

Plaque

A build up of hardened fatty deposits in the inner lining of an artery wall. This is what happens when someone has a condition called atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries

Platelets

One of the three main types of cells found in blood; they aid in the clotting of the blood

Portable heart monitor

Portable heart monitor is also called a holter monitor, this is monitor is used to record the heart rhythm over a period of time usually 24 hours.  You have to keep a diary of your activities and any symptoms while wearing it and then the trace from the monitor is matched to the diary.  This test is useful to find any problems with the heart rhythm which may not be there all the time

Premature ventricular contraction or PVC (ectopic beat)

An early or extra heartbeat, which happens when the heart's lower chambers called the ventricles, contract too soon and out of sequence with the normal heartbeat

Pulmonary

The word used for things to do with the lungs and respiratory system

Pulmonary artery

The blood vessel that takes blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. It is the only artery in the body that contains 'blue' deoxygenated blood

Pulmonary embolism

A condition in which a blood clot that has formed in a vein somewhere else in the body travels to the lungs

Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a rare disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening

Pulmonary valve

The heart valve in the right ventricle that opens to let blood go to the lungs

Pulmonary vein

The blood vessel that carries newly oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart. The only vein in the body to carry oxygenated 'red' blood

Pulse

Pulse is caused by the contraction and expansion of an artery due to the surge of blood from the beat of the heart.  The pulse is usually checked in the wrist, this tells us how fast the heart is beating.  Veins also have a pulse although this is weaker

Radionuclide studies

Any of the tests where a small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream. The material makes it possible for a special camera to take pictures of the heart. For example, certain CT scans

Radiofrequency catheter ablation

An invasive treatment  for some fast heart rhythms. Radiofrequency waves destroy the part of the electrical pathway that is abnormal and causing fast heart rhythms. The procedure is carried out using cardiac catheters

Regurgitation

Backward flow of blood that leaks through a defective heart valve

Renal

The word used for things to do with the kidneys

Right ventricular assist device or RVAD

A machine that can be placed outside the body or implanted inside the body. An RVAD does not fully replace the heart, but it helps it to pump oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs

Second-degree heart block

Impulses travelling through the heart's upper chambers (called the atria) are delayed in the area between the upper and lower chambers (called the Atrioventricular (AV) node) and fail to make the ventricles beat at the right moment. Sometimes a pacemaker is needed

Septal defect

A hole in the wall of the heart (septum) that separates the two atria from each other, and the two ventricles from each other

Septum

The muscular wall dividing a chamber on the left side of the heart from the chamber on the right

Shunt

A little tube that allows blood to flow between two locations

Sick sinus syndrome

A collection of problems due to the sinus node (SA node) not working properly. Sometimes a pacemaker is needed

Sinus or SA node

The 'natural' pacemaker of the heart. The node is a group of specialized cells in the top of the right atrium which produces the electrical impulses to start each heartbeat and travel down to reach the ventricles to finish the heartbeat

Stroke

Stroke is the sudden death of some brain cells caused by oxygen not being able to get to that part of the brain due to a blockage or a very bad bleed.  A stroke can cause lots of symptoms the most common being paralysis of one side of the body. A stroke is also called a Cerebral Vascular Accident or CVA.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD)

A death due to a known or suspected heart condition that is dramatic and/or unexpected. This is different to SADS in that an underlying heart condition can usually be found at post-mortem. But the mechanism of how the heart stops and death occurs is usually a fatal arrhythmia such as VT or VF.

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T-W

Thrombosis

A blood clot which forms inside a blood vessel.  This can be an artery or vein. 

Turner syndrome

Turner syndrome is a genetic condition which only affect females and is caused by a damaged or missing x chromosome.  1 in 2,000 live female births is affected by Turner syndrome. Go to www.tss.org.uk for more information.

Valve replacement

A surgical operation which removes a damaged heart valve and replaces it with a healthy one

valvular heart disease

This is the term used when talking about any disease or disorder of the heart valves which are the flaps which control the flow of blood through the 4 chambers of the heart

Valvotomy

A surgical cut to a cardiac valve to clear an obstruction.

Vena Cava

The superior vena cava is the large vein which returns blood to the heart from the head, neck and arms, the inferior vena cava returns blood to the heart from the lower part of the body.

venous blood clot

See Thrombosis

Ventricular Septal Defect

An opening in the wall (septum) between the large lower chambers of the heart (ventricles)  Allowing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix (See animation).

Warfarin

This is a medicine which stops blood clotting.  It is also known as an anticoagulant.  It is often prescribed when you have certain heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation.

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X-Z

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