Term | Definition |
afterload | the degree of pressure in the aorta that must be overcome for blood to be ejected from the left ventricle |
cardiac glycosides | drug class that include digitalis |
cardiac output | amount of blood pumped by a ventricle in 1 minute |
cardiac remodeling | change in the size, shape, and structure of the myocardial cells (myocytes) that occurs over time in heart failure |
contractility | the strength with which the myocardial fibers contract |
digitalization | procedure in which the dose of cardiac glycoside is gradually increased until tissues become saturated with the drug, and the symptoms of heart failure diminish |
Frank-Starling law | the greater the degree of stretch on the myocardial fibers, the greater will be the force by which they contract |
heart failure (HF) | disease in which the heart muscle cannot contract with sufficient force to meet the body's metabolic needs |
inotropic effect | change in the strength or contractility of the heart |
peripheral edema | swelling of extremities |
phosphodiesterase | enzyme in muscle cells that cleaves phosphodiester bonds; its inhibition increases myocardial contractility |
preload | degree of stretch of the cardiac muscle fibers just before they contract |
adrenergic blockers | decrease cardiac workload by slowing the heart rate and decreasing blood pressure |
vasodilators | decrease cardiac workload by dilating vessels and reducing preload |
phosphodiesterase inhibitors | increase cardiac output by increasing the force of myocardial contraction |
ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers | increase cardiac output by lowering blood pressure and decreasing blood volume |
cardiac glycosides | increase cardiac output by increasing the force of myocardial contraction |
diuretics | increase cardiac output by reducing fluid volume and decreasing blood pressure |