Question | Answer |
action potential | the electrical signal that causes a muscle to contract |
afterload | arterial impedance, or the force against which cardiac muscle shortens; along with preload and contractility, determines cardiac output |
angina pectoris | spasmodic or suffocating chest pain caused by an imbalance between oxygen supply and oxygen demand |
anticoagulant | a drug that prevents clot formation by affecting clotting factors |
antiplatelet | a drug that reduces the risk of clot formation by inhibiting platelet aggregation |
arrhythmia | any variation from the normal heartbeat |
ascites | the accumulation of fluids in the abdominal organs and the lower extremities |
atherosclerosis | accumulation of lipoproteins and fats on the inner surfaces of arteries, eventually clogging the arteries and leading to MI, stroke, or gangrene |
atrioventricular (AV) node | part of the conduction system of the heart that carries the action potential from the atria to the ventricles with a delay |
beta blocker | a Class II antiarrhythmic drug that competitively blocks response to beta adrenergic stimulation and therefore lowers heart rate, myocardial contractility, blood pressure, and myocardial oxygen demand; used to treat arrhythmias, MIs, and angina |
blood pressure (BP) | the result of the heart forcing the blood through the capillaries; measured in millimeters of mercury, both when the heart is contracting and forcing the blood (systolic) and when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood (diastolic) |
bradycardia | abnormally slow heart rate (below 60 beats per minute) |
calcium channel blocker | a Class IV antiarrhythmic drug that prevents the movement of calcium ions through slow channels; used for most supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and in angina |
cardiomegaly | enlargement of the heart due to overwork from overstimulation |
cardiovascular (CV) | pertaining to the heart and blood vessels |
cholesterol | an odorless, white, waxlike, powdery substance that is present in all foods of animal origin but not in foods of plant origin; circulates continuously in the blood for use by all body cells |
clotting cascade | a series of events that initiate blood clotting, or coagulation |
congestive heart failure (CHF) | a condition in which the heart can no longer pump adequate blood to the body's tissues; results in engorgement of the pulmonary vessels |
contractility | the cardiac muscle's capacity for becoming shorter in response to a stimulus; along with preload and afterload, determines cardiac output |
depolarization | reversal of the negative voltage across a heart or nerve cell membrane, caused by an inflow of positive ions |
diastolic blood pressure | the blood pressure measurement that measures the pressure during the dilation of the heart |
ectopic pacemaker | a pacemaker other than the SA node |
fibrinolytic | an agent that dissolves clots |
glycoprotein antagonist | an antiplatelet agent that binds to receptors on platelets, preventing platelet aggregation as well as the binding of fibrinogen and other adhesive molecules |
hematocrit | the proportion of a blood sample that is red blood cells |
high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) | lipoproteins containing 5% triglyceride, 25% cholesterol, and 50% protein; "good cholesterol" |
hypercholesterolemia | excessive cholesterol in the blood |
hyperlipidemia | elevation of the levels of one or more of the lipoproteins in the blood |
hypertension | elevated blood pressure, where systolic blood pressure is greater than 140 mm Hg and diastolic pressure is greater than 90 mm Hg |
International Normalized Ratio (INR) | a method of standardizing the prothrombin time (PT) by comparing it to a standard index |
ischemic stroke | a cerebral infarction, in which a region of the brain is damaged by being deprived of oxygen |
lipoprotein | a spherical particle containing a core of triglycerides and cholesterol, in varying proportions, surrounded by a surface coat of phospholipids that enables it to remain in solution |
low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) | lipoproteins containing 6% triglycerides and 65% cholesterol; "bad cholesterol" |
membrane stabilizing agent | a Class I antiarrhythmic drug that slows the movement of ions into cardiac cells, thus reducing the action potential and dampening abnormal rhythms and heartbeats |
myocardial hypertrophy | thickening of the heart muscle in response to overstimulation |
myocardial infarction (MI) | a heart attack; occurs when a region of the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen |
partial thromboplastin time (PTT) | a test that measures the function of the intrinsic and common pathways in blood clotting; affected by heparin |
preload | the mechanical state of the heart at the end of diastole; along with afterload and contractility, determines cardiac output |
prothrombin time (PT) | a test that assesses the function of the extrinsic pathways of the coagulation system; affected by warfarin |
pulmonary embolism (PE) | sudden blocking of the pulmonary artery by a blood clot |
repolarization | restoration of the negative voltage across a heart or nerve cell membrane, caused by an outflow of positive ions |
reversible ischemic neurologic deficit (RIND) | a neurologic change, caused by a temporary shortage of oxygen, that reverses spontaneously but less rapidly than a TIA |
sinoatrial (SA) node | the normal pacemaker area of the heart |
stable angina | a type of angina characterized by effort-induced chest pain from physical activity or emotional stress; usually predictable and reproducible |
statin | an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, a drug that inhibits the rate-limiting step in cholesterol formation |
stroke | the result of an event (finite, ongoing, or protracted occurrences) that interrupts oxygen supply to an area of the brain; usually caused by cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage |
systolic blood pressure | a blood pressure measurement that measures the pressure during contraction of the heart |
tachycardia | excessively fast heart rate |
thrombus | blood clot |
thrombocytopenia | a decrease in the bone marrow production of blood platelets |
transient ischemic attack (TIA) | temporary neurologic change that occurs when part of the brain lacks sufficient blood supply over a brief period of time; may be a warning sign and predictor of imminent stroke |
triglycerides | Neutral fats synthesized from carbohydrates for storage in adipose cells |
unstable angina | a type of angina characterized by chest pain that occurs with increasing frequency, diminishes the patient's ability to work, and has a decreasing response to treatment; may signal an oncoming MI |
variant angina | a type of angina characterized by chest pain due to coronary artery spasm; usually not stress induced |
very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) | lipoproteins containing 60% triglycerides and 12% cholesterol |