Medical Terminology Hosa

Abdomen

The area of the body between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the thighs.

Ablation

Elimination or removal.

ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor

A medicine that lowers blood pressure by interfering with the breakdown of a protein-like substance involved in blood pressure regulation.

Acquired heart disease

Heart disease that arises after birth, usually from infection or through the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries that feed the heart muscle.

Alveoli

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

Aneurysm

A sac-like protrusion from a blood vessel or the heart, resulting from a weakening of the vessel wall or heart muscle.

Angina or angina pectoris

Chest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.

Angiography

An x-ray technique in which dye is injected into the chambers of your heart or the arteries that lead to your heart (the coronary arteries).

Angioplasty

A nonsurgical technique for treating diseased arteries by temporarily inflating a tiny balloon inside an artery.

Anticoagulant

Any medicine that keeps blood from clotting; a blood thinner.

Aorta

The largest artery in the body and the main vessel to supply blood from the heart.

Atrial flutter

A type of arrhythmia in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat very fast.

Atrial tachycardia

A type of arrhythmia that begins in the heart’s upper chambers (the atria) and causes a very fast heart rate.

Cardiomyopathy

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

Congestive heart failure

A condition in which the heart cannot pump all the blood returning to it, leading to a backup of blood in the vessels.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

A narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart due to a buildup of plaque.

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus)

A disease in which the body doesn’t produce or properly use insulin.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

A test in which several electronic sensors are placed on the body to monitor electrical activity associated with the heartbeat.

Heart attack

Death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood.

Hypertension

High blood pressure.

Myocardial infarction

A heart attack resulting from a blocked blood supply to a part of the heart muscle.

Pulmonary embolism

A condition in which a blood clot travels to the lungs.

Stenosis

The narrowing or constriction of an opening, such as a blood vessel or heart valve.

Stroke

A sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain.

Ventricular tachycardia

An arrhythmia in the ventricle characterized by a very fast heartbeat.

Vasodilators

Any medicine that dilates (widens) the arteries.