Chapter 5: The Cardiovascular System

angi/o

blood or lymph vessel

aort/o

aorta

arteri/o

artery

ather/o

plaque, fatty substance

brady-

slow

cardi/o

heart

-crasia

a mixture or blending

-emia

blood, blood condition

erythr/o

red

hem/o, hemat/o

blood, relating to blood

leuk/o

white

phleb/o

vein

tachy-

fast, rapid

thromb/o

clot

ven/o

vein

ACE inhibitor

medication administered to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure

anemia

a disorder characterized by a lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood

aneurysm

a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery

angina

a condition in which severe episodes of chest pain occur due to an inadequate blood flow to the myocardium

angioplasty

the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel

anticoagulant

medication that shows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming

aplastic anemia

a condition characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow

arrhythmia

a loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat

atherectomy

surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery

atherosclerosis

hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries

atrial fibrillation

rapid uncontrolled twitching of the muscular wall of the atria

automated external defibrillator

electronic equipment that externally shocks the heart to restore a normal cardiac rhythm

beta-blocker

medication administered to reduce the workload the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat

bradycardia

an abnormally slow resting heart rate, usually at less than 60 beats per minute

cardiac arrest

an event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively

cardiac catheterization

a diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and guided into the heart

cardiomyopathy

all diseases of the heart muscle

carotid endarterectomy

surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain

cholesterol

a fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body

chronic venous insufficiency

a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or leakage of venous valves

coronary artery disease

atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces the blood supply to the heart muscle

coronary thrombosis

damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery

defibrillation

the emergency use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm

diuretic

medication administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium and water

electrocardiogram

a record of the electrical activity of the myocardium

embolism

the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus

embolus

a foreign object, such as a blood clot, or quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or tumor, that is circulating in the blood

endocarditis

inflammation of the inner lining of the heart

erythrocytes

red blood cells, produced by the red bone marrow; primary role of these cells is to transport oxygen to the tissues

hemoglobin

oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythrocytes

hemolytic anemia

condition characterized by an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to their premature destruction by the spleen

hemorrhage

the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time

hemostasis

to stop or control bleeding

leukemia

a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal white blood cells found in blood-forming tissues, other organs, and in the circulating blood

leukocytes

white blood cells; involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances

leukopenia

a decrease in the number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood

megaloblastic anemia

a blood disorder characterized by anemia in which red blood cells are larger than normal

mitral valve prolapse

the abnormal protrusion of a heart valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely

myelodysplastic syndrome

a type of cancer in which there is insufficient production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow

myocardial infarction

the occlusion of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup

orthostatic hypertension

low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up

pericardium

the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart

pernicious anemia

anemia caused by a lack of protein intrinsic factor (IF) that helps the body absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract

phlebitis

inflammation of a vein

Raynaud’s disease

a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress

sepsis

a potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream

sickle cell anemia

a serious genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape. this sickle shape interferes with normal blood flow, resulting in damage to most of the body systems

tachycardia

an abnormally rapid resting heartbeat usually at a rate of more than 100 beats per minute

temporal arteritis

inflammation of the temporal arteries that can cause headaches visual impairment, or other symptoms

thallium stress test

a nuclear imaging test performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise by injecting a small amount of thallium into the bloodstream

thrombocytopenia

a condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood

thrombolytic

medication that dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up

thrombosis

the abnormal condition of having a thrombus

thrombotic occlusion

the blocking of an artery by a thrombus

thrombus

a blood clot attached to the interior wall of an artery or vein

transfusion reaction

a serious and potentially fatal complication of a blood transfusion in which a severe immune response occurs because the patient’s blood and the donated blood do not match

varicose veins

abnormally swollen veins usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs

venous thromboembolism

a blood clot that originates in a vein

ventricular fibrillation

rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles

ventricular tachycardia

a very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricles