ACE inhibitors - most heart patients
are on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. They can help control
symptoms and may slow the advance of the disease. ACE inhibitors reduce the
heart's workload by make the blood vessels expand, which lowers blood pressure.
They also reduce the tendency to retain salt and fluid.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers - similar
to ACE inhibitors, these are used to keep blood pressure from rising. They lower
blood pressure without lowering heart rate
Arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat that's
abnormally slow (bradycardia) or too fast (tachycardia).
Atrium - one of the two upper chambers of the heart.
The left atrium fills with oxygenated blood from the lungs. The right atrium
fills with deoxygenated blood returning from the body.
Beta-blockers - help control
heart rate and reduce the heart's tendency to beat faster. They improve survival
in heart failure patients.and are used in combination with diuretics, digoxin,
and ACE inhibitors.
Blood thinners - used to reduce risk of
blood clots in legs, lungs and heart.
Calcium channel blockers - sometimes
used to help lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation in the heart
Cardiac catheterization - a heart procedure
used to diagnose heart disease. A catheter (inserted into an artery in your
arm or leg) is guided to your heart, contrast dye is injected, and X-rays of
the coronary arteries, heart chambers, and valves are taken.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy
- implantable device therapy for people with moderate to severe heart failure
who also have ventricular dysynchrony. Helps the lower chambers of the heart
(left and right ventricles) beat together again.
Cardiologist - specializes in the diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Cardiomyopathy - a degenerative disease
of the heart's muscle tissue
Cardioversion - conversion of an abnormal
cardiac rhythm to a normal one either by the use of medication or by the application
of electric shock, as with a defibrillator.
Congestive heart failure - a
term often used to describe heart failure
Coronary artery disease - chronic
condition in which a clogged artery prevents the heart from receiving sufficient
blood
Diuretics (water pills) - a
medication prescribed for fluid buildup and swelling. They cause the kidneys
to remove more sodium and water than usual from the bloodstream. With less blood
to pump, the heart has to work less. Also decreases fluid buildup in lungs,
ankles, legs and other parts of the body.
Digitalis (or digoxin) - a medication that increases
the force of the heart's contractions to relieve heart failure symptoms. Slows
certain types of arrhythmia.
Dyspnea - shortness of breath, one of the classic
symptoms of heart failure.
Echocardiogram (or "echo")
- a test that provides a measurement of how well your heart is pumping and is
a key indicator of your heart's function.
Echocardiologist - physician who performs
cardiovascular examinations using echocardiograms to produce a picture of a
heart and great vessels using high-frequency sound waves.
Edema - abnormal accumulation of excess fluid in
the intercellular tissue spaces.
Ejection fraction (EF) - the percentage of blood pumped
to the body by the left ventricle during every heartbeat. People with a normal,
healthy heart typically have an ejection fraction of 55 percent or greater.
An ejection fraction of 40 percent or less indicates a weakened heart.
Electrocardiogram - a test that records
the electrical activity of the heart, revealing evidence of previous heart attack,
enlargement of the heart and abnormal rhythms.
Electrophysiologist (EP) or heart rhythm
specialist - a cardiologist with specialized training in the diagnosis and
treatment of heart rhythm problems.
Endocarditis - a rare but serious infection
of the lining of the heart or heart valves, which can cause the heart to work
less efficiently.
Heart
failure specialist - a cardiologist who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment
of heart failure.
Myocarditis
- infection of the heart's muscle tissue, which inflames the heart and makes
it unable to pump as efficiently.
NYHA Class I, II, III, IV - a classification
system developed by the New York Heart Association widely used to diagnose the
functional class, or severity, of heart failure based on symptoms one experiences
with exertion. NYHA Class I, II are "mild," Class III is "moderate
to severe," and Class IV is "severe" heart failure.
Potassium -
helps control heart rhythm and is important to the nervous system and muscles.
Diuretics remove potassium, so doctors may advise some patients to increase
potassium intake or to take supplements.
Pulmonary edema - accumulation of fluid
in the lungs usually due to heart failure.
Vasodilators
- medications that cause the blood vessels to widen or relax so blood can flow
more easily. ACE inhibitors are one type of vasodilators. These can help relieve
symptoms and improve tolerance for exercise. Can also be used to reduce chest
pain.
Ventricle - one of the two lower chambers of
the heart, which are responsible for pumping. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-filled
blood to the body. The left ventricle pumps blood to the lungs where the blood
exchanges carbon dioxide for oxygen.
Ventricular dysynchrony - a condition
where the lower chambers of the heart do not beat at the same time due to a
delay in the electrical conduction system. It affects about 30% of moderate
to severe heart failure patients.
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) - a heart rhythm disorder
originating in the ventricles. An abnormally rapid heart rhythm that is unstable
and irregular. Electronic signals move through the heart erratically and prevent
it from beating properly. Patient may feel faint. If untreated, may cause cardiac
arrest.
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) - a heart rhythm disorder
originating in the ventricles. Rapid contractions prevent the heart from filling
adequately with blood between beats. Patient may feel faint, become dizzy or
collapse. Can be life threatening if not treated.
Latest update: 20 January 2005
