Glossary of Terms

Angina

severe pain when the heart does not receive enough oxygen

Antihypertensive:

medicine that prevents or controls high blood pressure

Aortic Valve:

heart valve between the left ventricle and the aorta (leading from the heart to the body)

Aspirin:

pain reliever taken by mouth; also helps to prevent blood clot formation

Atria:

the two upper chambers of the heart

Bradycardia:

condition where the heart beats slower than normal

Cardiac Biopsy:

removal of a small amount of heart tissue to check for any evidence of rejection

Cardiac Catheterization:

a procedure in which a small tube is guided through a vein or an artery into the right or left side of the heart to check the function of the heart and the coronary arteries

Cardiologist:

doctor who studies and treats diseases of the heart

Cardiomyopathy:

disease of the heart muscle (myocardium) causing it to weaken over time

Cardiovascular:

relating to the heart and the blood vessels or to the circulation of blood

Catheter:

tube, generally small and flexible, inserted into the body, to infuse medications, monitor organ function and drain fluid

Cholesterol:

fat substance found in animal meats, dairy products and produced by the liver; a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a risk factor for developing heart disease Blood cholesterol can be elevated by cyclosporine

Congenital:

existing at birth

Congestive Heart Failure:

when the heart becomes too weak to pump enough blood through the body and fluid builds up in your organs and tissues

Coronary Artery Disease:

narrowing of the coronary arteries that usually result from a build-up of a substance called plaque or from atherosclerosis

Coronary Arteries:

blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart

Denervation:

cutting or blocking the nerve supply

Diastolic Blood Pressure:

bottom number of the blood pressure reading that shows the amount of resistance in the blood vessels that the heart has to overcome

Diuretic:

medication that assists the kidneys in ridding the body of excess fluid

Echocardiogram:

diagnostic test that uses reflected sound wave images to see the heart and provides information regarding the structure and function of the heart

Edema:

swelling of body tissue caused by fluid leaking from blood vessels

Endocarditis:

an infection of the inner lining or valves of the heart

Fluid Retention:

condition in which the body stores excess fluid

Graft Coronary Disease:

condition in which the arteries in a transplanted heart narrow

Heart Attack:

blockage of a vessel that feeds the heart muscle, causing sudden tissue death (myocardial infarction)

Heart Biopsy:

(See Cardiac Biopsy)

Heart Failure:

(See Congestive Heart Failure)

Heart Monitor:

a device that records and displays information about the heart, including condition and number beats

Idiopathic:

arising from an unknown or obscure cause

Magnesium Oxide:

white, odorless powder in tablet form used after transplant to counteract cyclosporine’s tendency to lower magnesium levels in the blood; low magnesium can cause heart rhythm problems or muscle cramps

Mitral Valve:

largest of the four heart valves; allows blood to flow on the left side of the heart

Native Heart:

your diseased heart; the heart you were born with

Pacemaker:

electrical device that stimulates or steadies the heartbeat or re-establishes the rhythm of an arrested heart

Palpitations:

rapid throbbing of the heart, usually with an increase in frequency or force, with or without irregularity in rhythm

Postpartum Cardiomyopathy:

heart disease that develops after childbirth

Pulmonary Artery:

blood vessel that carries blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs

Pulmonary Artery Catheter:

a long, flexible tube inserted through your neck vein into the pulmonary artery; used to measure pressures in your heart and lungs, and evaluate your heart function

Pulmonary Valve:

structure between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery; regulates movement of fluid into the pulmonary artery

Sternum:

narrow, flat bone that connects the ribs or the shoulder girdle or both; also referred to as the breastbone

Swan-Ganz Catheter:

(See Pulmonary Artery Catheter)

Systolic Blood Pressure:

amount of force used by the heart to eject blood out of the heart; “systolic” refers to the top number read as part of blood pressure

Tachycardia:

condition where the heart beats faster than normal

Tricuspid Valve:

heart valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle

Ultrasound:

device that uses ultrasonic waves to outline the shape of various tissues and organs of the body

Valvular Disease:

disease that causes the heart valves to malfunction and permit fluid to flow in the wrong direction

Vena Cava (Superior and Inferior):

two large veins that bring blood that has been used by your body to the right side of the heart; the superior vena cava drains the upper portion of the body, while the inferior drains the lower portion of the body

Ventricle:

either of two lower chambers of the heart The right chamber pumps blood to the lungs to be oxygenated, while the left ventricle is a powerful muscle that pumps the oxygenated blood throughout your body through your arteries

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