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

erthyr/o

red

hem/o, hemat/o

blood, relating to the blood

leuk/o

white

phleb/o

vein

tachy-

fast, rapid

thromb/o

clot

ven/o

vein

coron/o

heart

vascul/o

blood vessel

my/o

muscle

ACE inhibitor

blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract, resulting in hypertension

anemia

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 of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium

artificial pacemaker

used primarily as treatment for bradycardia or atrial fibrillation

implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

a double-action pacemaker

antiarrhythmic

medication administered to control irregularities of the heartbeat

anticoagulant

medication that slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming

aplastic anemia

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

arrhythmia

the loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat

atherectomy

surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior lining of an artery

atheroma

a deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall

atherosclerosis

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

atria

the two upper chambers of the heart, these chambers are divided by the interatrial septum

atrial fibrillation

when the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid, uncontrolled twitching of the muscular heart wall

automated external defibrillator

electronic equipment that automatically samples the heart's electrical rhythms and when necessary, externally shocks the heart to restore a normal cardiac rhythm

aspirin

may be recommended to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by reducing the ability of the blood to clot

beta-blocker

medication that reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat

bundle of his

group of fibers located within the interventricular septum

blood dyscrasia

any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood

bradycardia

an abnormally slow resting heart rate

calcium channel blocker agents

cause the heart and blood vessels to relax by decreasing the movement of calcium into the cells of these structures

cardiac ablation

procedure that uses radio-frequency energy or cryoablation to scar or destroy the heart tissue triggering an abnormal heart rhythm

coumadin

brand name for warfarin, an anticoagulant administered to prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger

cholesterol-lowering drugs

used to combat hyperlipidemia

digitalis

medication that strengthens the contraction of the heart muscle, slows the heart rate and helps eliminate fluid from body tissues

tissue plasminogen activator

a thrombolytic that is administered to some patients having a heart attack or stroke. can dissolve the damaging blood clots if administered within a few hours after symptoms begin

heparin

a common anticoagulant. works faster than coumadin, but must be administered by injection or in an IV solution

cardiac arrest

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

cardiac catheterization

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

cardiomyopathy

the term used to describe 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 arteries

supply oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium

coronary artery disease

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

coronary thrombosis

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

defibrillation

the use of electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm; also known as cardioversion

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, 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

endocardium

consists of epithelial tissue, the inner lining of the heart

epicardium

the external layer of the heart and the inner layer of the pericardium

erythrocytes

mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow

hemoglobin

the oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythocytes

hemolytic anemia

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

hemostasis

to stop or control bleeding

leukemia

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

leukocytes

white blood cells that are 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

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 (blockage) of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup; commonly known as a heart attack

myocardium

the middle and thickest of the heart’s three layers. also known as myocardial muscle

orthostatic hypotension

low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up

pericardium

the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart

pernicious anemia

a form of anemia caused by a lack of the protein that helps the body absorb vitamin B12, which is necessary for the formation of red blood cells

phlebitis

inflammation of a vein

purkinje fibers

specialized conductive fibers located within the walls of the ventricles

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 genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape that interferes with normal blood flow

tachycardia

an abnormally rapid resting heart rate

temporal arteritis

a form of vasculitis that can cause headaches, visual impairment, jaw pain, and other symptoms

thallium stress test

a diagnostic test performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise

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; also known as a clot-busting drug

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 a vein or an artery

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

valvulitis

inflammation of a heart valve

varicose veins

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

ventricles

the two lower chambers of the heart, these chambers are divided by the interventricular septum

vasoconstrictor

causes blood vessels to narrow

vasodilator

causes blood vessels to expand

nitroglycerin

a vascodilator prescribed to prevent or relieve the pain of angina by dilating the blood vessels to the heart

ventricular fibrillation

the rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles

ventricular tachycardia

a very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricles

cardiovascular

pertaining to the heart and blood vessels