Updated January 25, 2007
- IABP
- see Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
- ICD
- Implantable Cardioverter
Defibrillator -- see this page
- ICU
- Intensive Care Unit, where clinically unstable patients are watched
- IDCM
- Idiopathic Dilated CardioMyopathy - cardiomyopathy of unknown cause
- idiopathic
- cause unknown
- IGF-1
- Insulin-like Growth Factor-1. Regulated by human growth hormone from the pituitary gland, IGH-1 causes growth in the human body
- IHSS
- Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis. Now it is called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or HCM for short. One possible therapy may be dual-chamber pacemakers
- incidence
- rate at which new cases of a particular disease occur. Usually new cases diagnosed per year
- induction therapy
- immediately before and/or after organ transplant, using heavy-duty doses of powerful immunosuppressive (anti-rejection) drugs to stop early organ rejection
- infusion
- usually means giving a drug or solution straight into a vein; intravenously, IV
- INR
- International Normalized Ratio - the time it takes blood to clot. Previously called PT time, this measurement is used to check that blood thinner levels in your blood are safe and effective
- inotropic
- increasing the heart's beating strength - how hard it squeezes
- intermittent
- not continuously, off and on. Referring to IV inotrope therapy, intermittent means taking the drug every X number of days per week or month, but not continuously
- intimal
- pertaining to the innermost layer - as in, a blood vessel consists of a layer of endothelial cells backed by layers of other tissue
- intravenous (IV)
- giving a drug or solution straight into a vein
- interstitial
- located in - but not like - an organ or tissue. For example, could be a connecting tissue or growth between two organs
- Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP)
- a balloon placed inside the aorta - the body's main artery. The balloon is rapidly inflated and deflated in time with the heart's pumping, to increase pumping strength. Normal length of IABP support is hours to days. As heart function improves, IABP support is slowly reduced, then removed. May also be used to reduce complications during angioplasty in high-risk patients - see this page
- in vitro
- isolated from the organism. An in vitro experiment is done in a test tube in a lab, not on an animal or person
- in vivo
- in the living organism. An in vivo experiment is done in an animal, plant or person
- ion
- an electrically charged particle. See anion and cation
- ischemia
- partial or complete stopping of blood flow (to the heart, in CHF). In CHF, ischemia usually means blocked arteries or long-term too-fast heart rate depriving the heart of blood
- ischemic
- tissue or heart damage from not enough blood flow (like what happens when an artery is blocked, or your heart rate is too fast for a long time)
- isotope ventriculogram
- MUGA. See this page.
- IU
- International Unit. Unit of measuring activity for vitamins
- IVG
- Isotope VentriculoGram. Same as MUGA. See this page.
- JVD
- Jugular Venous Distension - when you retain fluid, your neck's jugular vein stands up higher
- K
- potassium
- kg or kilogram
- a metric unit of weight. One kg = 1000 grams = 2.21 pounds American
- Killip class
- Class 1 : no signs of heart failure
Class 2 : some fluid in the lungs, third heart sound gallop, and high jugular (neck) vein pressure
Class 3 : obvious fluid in the lungs
Class 4 : cardiogenic shock, systolic blood pressure under 90 mmHg, and signs of vasoconstriction throughout the body such as reduced urine output, and a blue or purple discoloration of the skin from lack of oxygen in the blood
- L (l)
- liter or litre, a metric unit of volume. One L = 1.057 quarts = 33.8 ounces = 0.27 gallons American
- LAE
- Left Atrial Enlargement - enlargement of the heart's upper left chamber, which fills the left ventricle
- laparoscopy
- surgery using a tiny scope/camera inserted into the abdomen through a small incision. Gas is used to inflate the internal abdominal area during this procedure
- LBBB
- Left Bundle Branch Block, an electrical disorder of the heart. See this page
- LAD
- Left Anterior Descending artery of the heart. Often involved in bypass surgery
- LDL
- Low Density Lipoprotein -- "bad cholesterol"
- leukocyte
- white blood cell
- leukocytosis
- abnormally high white blood cell count
- leukopenia
- abnormally low white blood cell count
- lightheaded
- feeling like you are going to faint. See dizzy
- LIMA
- Left Internal Mammary Artery. Used in some bypass surgeries
- LV
- left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber
- LVAD
- Left Ventricular Assist Device - see this page
- lymphoma
- cancer of the lymph system
- mean
- average
- macrophage
- cell derived from a white blood cell that protects the body against infection
- mEq
- milliEquivalent. mEq measures a substance's ability to combine with another substance. One mEq = 39 mg of potassium or 23 mg of sodium or 20 mg of calcium or 35 mg of chlorine. One mEq equals about 75 mg of potassium chloride - what we often get as a supplement. One mEq is roughly equivalent to one milliosmole (mOsm).
- METs
- Metabolic Equivalent Unit. One MET = your oxygen uptake at rest - roughly 3.5 ml oxygen/kg body weight/minute. Doctors may prescribe exercise by MET values for cardiac rehab
- mg
- milligram, a metric unit of weight. One mg = 1/1000th gram = 0.000035 ounces American
- mg
- magnesium
- MIDCAB
- Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass - bypass surgery (CABG) that is done without cutting open the entire chest cavity
- MI
- Myocardial Infarction - heart attack
- microalbuminuria
- too-low rate of albumin passed in the urine (30 to 300 mg per 24-hour period) - usually a symptom of kidney disease
- microemboli
- multiple very small particles in the blood (as in air bubbles)
- MICS
- Minimally Invasive Coronary Surgery. See this page
- mitochondria
- one of a cell's "organs" that exist outside the cell nucleus. There are from one to several hundred mitochondria in each cell. They perform many cell metabolism functions including producing energy through breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and oxygen
- ml
- milliliter, a metric unit of volume. One ml = 1/1000th liter = 0.0012 quart = 0.0338 ounce American
- mmHg
- millimeters of mercury - a unit of measuring pressure. Also called "torr" See this page
- mmol
- millimole, a metric unit of volume. One mmol = 1/1000th of a mole
- mole
- one mole is the molecular weight of a substance in grams. For example, the molecular weight of calcium is 40, and one mole of calcium equals 40 grams
- morbidity
- resulting from a disease or procedure. Morbidity could be "complications" from a surgery or drug therapy
- morphology
- form and structure (of an organism, regarded as a whole)
- mortality
- death rate, risk of death (usually from a disease, surgery, or procedure)
- mOsm
- milli-Osmole - 1/1000th of an osmole
- mph
- mile per hour, as in walking on the treadmill at 3 mph
- MRI
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging - see this page
- MRSA
- Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - an antibiotic-resistant infection
- ms
- millisecond or 1/1000th of one second. QRS interval is measured in ms - see this page
- mug
- actually means micrograms, and should be shown as µgm or mcg
- MUGA
- Multiple Gated Acquisition or radionuclide ventriculography. A test of heart function using an injection of radioactives and an x-ray machine. See this page
- MVP
- Mitral Valve Prolapse - The mitral valve controls blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. When the valve's two leaflets do not completely close, there is backflow, or regurgitation, of blood. See this page
- myocarditis
- inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall (myocardium)
- myocardium
- muscular middle layer of the heart wall
- narcolepsy
- a condition that includes brief, unexpected attacks of deep sleep
- NASPE
- North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology, now called NASPE Heart Rhythm Society - see www.naspe.org
- natriuresis
- salt elimination by peeing, lowering blood pressure
- natriuretic
- causing salt to be eliminated from the body through urine, lowering blood pressure
- naturopathy
- system of treating disease that avoids drugs and surgery. It uses natural agents such as air, water, and sunshine; and physical means such as manipulation (chiropractic) and electrical treatment
- NBG code
- A 3 to 5 letter code describing the mode used by a pacemaker. The first position in the code tells the chamber paced, the second the chamber sensed, the third the response to sensing, the fourth programmable functions such as rate modulation and the fifth anti-tachyarrhythmia functions. Each letter also means something: A = atrium, D = dual, I = inhibited, O = neither, R = rate modulation, T = tracking, V = ventricle. For example, a VVIR pacemaker paces in the ventricle, senses in the ventricle, has an inhibited response to sensing and offers rate modulation.
- NE
- NorEpinephrine
- necrosis
- cell death caused by outside factors, such as heart cells killed in a heart attack by lack of blood flow to them (ischemia)
- nephron
- the primary unit of which the kidney is made
- neurohormones
- the body's chemical messengers, these hormones stimulate the cells they attach to. Neurohormones are too active in heart failure and cause a great deal of harm
- neuron
- An excitable cell that transmits electrical signals over long distances in the body. Neurons both receive and send signals. They connect with each other via synapses. Neurons can be the longest cells known, with a single one several meters (yards) in length
- NIH
- National Institutes of Health
- nitric oxide
- compound produced from L-arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. Called NO, it has vasodilator properties. It is also called endothelium derived relaxation factor
- NKA
- no known allergies
- NKDA
- no known drug allergies
- norepinephrine
- also called noradrenaline. A neurohormone, this is the primary chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system. It binds very strongly to adrenergic receptors on cell walls
- NPO
- Patient must take "nothing by mouth" - no food or water - for a specified time
- NSAID
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug - Ibuprofen, prednisone, and naprosen are examples. Not usually good for CHFers because they make you retain fluid, among other effects
- NSVT
- Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia - an intermittent too-rapid heart beat
- O2
- oxygen
- occlusion
- blockage, as in blocked arteries
- OD
- every day - as in, take this pill once every day
- OKT3
- Muromonab-CD3 (called Orthoclone) is a potent drug for fighting organ rejection - see this page
- oliguria
- reduced, too-low urine output
- oncotic
- the pressure caused by blood pushing against blood vessel walls - can also mean "caused by swelling"
- ophthalmia
- inflammation of the eyeball or its mucous membrane
- OR
- Operating Room, a "clean room" where surgery is done
- orthostatic
- from standing - orthostatic hypotension is low blood pressure when you're standing
- orthopnea
- inability to breathe except in an upright position
- osmole
- a unit of measure of osmotic pressure, based on a one mole concentration of an ion in a solution
- osmosis
- movement of a substance through a cell into a solution with a higher concentration of that substance, thus equalizing the concentration on the two sides of the cell membrane
- OTC
- Over The Counter (as in non-prescription drugs)
- oxidation
- removal of an electron from a substance, changing the substance losing the electron, for better or worse. Oxidation cause oxidative stress
- oxidative stress
- injury caused to a molecule when an oxygen free radical steals an electron from it
- PAC
- Pre-Atrial Contraction - heart's atrium chamber beats prematurely
- PAD
- Peripheral Arterial Disease - see peripheral vascular disease
- palliative
- to reduce the ill effects of disease without curing it. This is "end of life" care to improve quality of life when dying
- palpitation
- a heart beat you feel very strongly. Your heart may feel like it is "in your throat" Commonly felt after a PVC
- panic value
- abnormal lab test result that requires you to be immediately retested
- PAP
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure - see this page
- paracentesis
- a surgical puncture of the abdomen to suck out excess fluid
- parenteral
- occurring outside the intestine. For example, giving a drug by intravenous or intramuscular injection. The opposite of enteric
- paresis
- partial paralysis
- paresthesia
- sensation of burning, prickling, tingling, etc,...
- patency
- openness, as in how open an artery is, so blood can flow through it normally
- pathophysiology
- the changes in function that are caused by a condition or disease
- PC
- after eating, as in "take this pill PC"
- PCP
- Primary Care Physician - your regular doctor
- PCWP
- Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure - see this page. Normal range is 5 to 13 mmHg
- peptide
- compound made of two or more amino acids. In heart failure, peptide usually refers to natriuretic peptides like ANP, BNP and CNP
- perfusion
- blood flow into the heart muscle. On the other hand, blood flow into a blood vessel, such as blood flow from the heart into the aorta is just called flow or output
- pericardial
- having to do with the pericardium, which is the sac or membrane that encloses the heart. It has 2 layers, with pericardial fluid in between the layers
- perioperative
- happening between the time you are put in the hospital before surgery to the time you leave the hospital after surgery
- peripheral arterial disease
- see peripheral vascular disease
- peripheral vascular disease
- blockage inside any arteries in the body except the coronary (heart) arteries. This can have serious implications and must be treated. Symptoms include chronic burning, aching, numbness, and tingling, especially in the arms, hands, legs, and feet
- peritoneum
- smooth membrane lining the cavity of the abdomen. It has an outer layer close to the walls of the abdomen and an inner layer that folds over the internal organs
- PH
- Pulmonary Hypertension, too-high pressure as measured in the pulmonary artery. See this page
- phenotype
- the visible properties of something. Can apply to people, cells, organisms, whatever
- phosphodiesterase inhibitors
- drugs that make the heart beat more strongly, usually IV drugs like milrinone or saterinone - see this page
- PLAATO
- Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Transcatheter Occlusion from Appriva Medical. See this page
- placebo
- a non-active substance that looks like a real drug or treatment - used in place of a real drug to keep a patient from knowing whether he is taking a real drug or not
- plaque
- the gunk that can build up in your blood vessels, causing coronary artery disease
- plasma
- the pale yellow fluid part of human blood made up of water and dissolved substances such as proteins, electrolytes, sugars, lipids, waste products, amino acids, hormones, and vitamins
- plasmapheresis
- separating out one part of the blood from whole blood and returning all other parts back to the patient's circulatory system - see this page
- pleural effusion
- collection of fluid or blood in the pleural space - the space between tissues and organs in the chest cavity around the lungs
- PMH
- Previous Medical History
- PND
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea. A particular type of shortness of breath that can be part of heart failure. It often shows up as spasms of coughing and shortness of breath during the night or whenever lying down. Anxiety also often occurs
- PO
- orally (by mouth) - as in take this pill PO means take this pill once a day by mouth
- post-
- after - as in, post-MI means after a heart attack
- postural hypotension
- lightheadedness when moving suddenly, as in standing up, or bending over and then straightening up. Often caused by ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers
- PPCM
- PostPartum or PeriPartum CardioMyopathy. Weakened heart due to the physical stress of pregnancy - develops within the last month of pregnancy or the first 5 months after giving birth. See this page
- preeclampsia
- a toxic condition in late pregnancy including sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive weight gain, edema, albuminuria, severe headache, and visual disturbances
- preload
- how far heart fibers stretch when the heart is fullest, just before it pumps blood out into the body (vein pressures)
- prevalence
- how many people have a disease right now. The percentage of a population affected with a particular disease at a given time
- PRN
- as needed - as in take this painkiller only when you need one
- prognosis
- the prospect of survival or recovery from a disease - a bad prognosis means you're going to get worse or die; a good prognosis means you may get better or be cured
- proximal
- nearest - the opposite of distal
- pruritis
- itching
- PSM
- Patient Self-Management, often meaning that a person manages their own anti-coagulant (blood thinner) therapy, using a home blood monitoring device to measure INR
- PT or PTT
- ProThrombin Time - the time it takes blood to clot. Now called INR, this measurement is used to check that blood thinner levels in your blood are both safe and effective
- PTCA
- Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty -- "balloon angioplasty" -- see this page
- pulmonary
- lung or lungs, or relating to the lungs. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in a lung
- pulmonary atresia
- lack of a pulmonary heart valve - the only corrections are surgical
- pulmonary hypertentsion
- too-high pressures in the pulmonary artery, affecting right heart function - see this page
- pulse pressure
- the difference between your systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements. A very large pulse pressure indicates higher risk for heart problems
- pump failure
- slow weakening of the heart over time, causing death when the heart finally just gives out
- PVC
- PreVentricular Contraction - heart's ventricles contract too quickly, sometimes called a skipped beat. These are not supposed to be really dangerous but they can drive you nuts. A PVC is usually followed by a pause as your heart resets its electrical system. The next beat is often felt very strongly - a palpitation.
- PVD
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- PVR
- Pulmonary Vascular Resistance - the general pressure against which the right heart must pump to push blood through the lungs. See this page
- pyelonephritis
- inflammation of part of the kidney and the kidney's pelvic lining
- q
- every - as in qd means every day
- qd
- every day - as in "take this pill once every day"
- qh
- every hour - as in "take this pill once every hour"
- qid
- four times per day - as in, "take this pill four times a day"
- qod
- every other day - as in, "take this pill once every other day"
- QOL
- Quality Of Life
- QRS
- part of an EKG tracing -- see this page
- RAD
- ant-rejection drug Tacrolimus (ProGraf, FK506) See this page
- rales
- an abnormal sound heard in the lungs when listening to the chest through a stethescope. Rales can be sibilant (whistling), dry (crackling) or wet (sloshy) depending on the amount and density of fluid moving in the lung's air passages
- RAP
- Right Atrial Pressure
- RAS
- Renin Angiotensin System - chemical system in the human body, made up of renin, ACE, and angiotensin II. Renin is an enzyme produced in the kidney. It acts on angiotensinogen (produced by the liver) forming angiotensin I. The converting enzyme contained in the lung (ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is not a good thing in heart failure. More technical info available here
- refractoriness
- when a cell quits responding to stimulation (as in, by the nervous system) as a result of too much previous stimulation
- refractory
- illness or symptom that does not respond to medicines or treatment; Can also refer to refractory period
- refractory period
- the brief period right after the response of a cell to stimulation. Occurs after the cell is stimulated but just before it recovers the capacity to make another response. Basically, this is the resting period that happens once in each cycle of repeated stimulations
- remodeling
- as the heart weakens, remodeling occurs: its main pumping chamber - the left ventricle - enlarges and changes shape, getting rounder. The heart also undergoes changes at the cell level, further weakening it. See this page
- renal
- kidney, relating to the kidneys. Renal failure is kidney failure
- renin
- enzyme in the blood that changes angiotensinogen to angiotensin one. Angiotensin one can be changed to angiotensin II, which is not good for heart failure patients. See this page for more on that
- rep
- repetition - in weight lifting each time you do a movement it is called a repetition, while a group of continuous reps is called a set
- restenosis
- re-blockage. An artery that has been cleared out by angioplasty or bypass surgery but closes up later has restenosed
- resynchronization
- using a pacemaker to make the heart's chambers beat properly as a team -- see this page
- retrograde
- going in the "wrong" direction - the direction opposite to the usual direction
- revascularization
- restoring normal blood flow. Done for the heart's arteries with bypass surgery, angioplasty, TMLR, DCA or other methods
- RFA
- RadioFrequency Ablation - similar to cath, but after the catheter is in place inside the heart, tiny areas of the heart are "killed" by radio-frequency energy to cure arrhythmia. See this page
- RHGH
- recombinant human growth hormone, also abbreviated rGH or just GH, since all RHGH for medical treatment in the USA is now a "grown" or "recombinant" form. RHGH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that "activates" insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1), which causes growth in the human body. See this page
- RLS
- Restless Legs Syndrome - condition causing leg twitching, pain, discomfort, crawling or tingling sensations in the lower legs, and also sleeplessness. See this page, this page, and this page
- RN
- Registered Nurse, a nurse who after graduating nursing school or typical 4 year college degree, passes the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) examination
- R/O
- Rule Out - as in rule out all othe causes
- RyR2
- ryanodine-receptor channel - a calcium channel in heart cells that may control the heart's beating by regulating calcium ion release. See this page
- S3
- third heart sound. Often heard in children and CHFers. See this page
- SCD
- Sudden Cardiac Death. Many CHFers die from SCD caused by arrhythmia
- sclerosis
- condition of hardening tissue
- septal
- having to do with the septum, which in heart terms is the wall separating the right and left chambers of the heart
- serous
- having a thin, watery constitution
- serum
- the watery part of the blood, without clotting factors or cells. This is the part of blood that remains liquid after blood stands long enough to clot
- set
- in weight lifting, one group of continuous reps
- SHF
- Systolic Heart Failure - heart failure caused by lack of heart pumping power. Most CHFers have SHF
- SG
- Swan-Ganz - a type of catheter used in right-heart (pulmonary) cath procedures
- skeletal muscle
- muscles you can consciously control, such as biceps. Called skeletal because these muscles attach to the skeleton, they are made of fibers that can contract
- sl
- sublingual - taken under the tongue instead of swallowed, like a nitro tablet for chest pain (angina)
- SOB
- Shortness Of Breath
- SPECT
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography - imaging test very similar to a MUGA. It uses injected radioactive tracers. A "gated" SPECT just means lots of pictures are taken, each view called a gate
- SRL
- anti-rejection drug Rapamune (rapamycin, sirolimus)
- SSD
- Social Security Disability. See this page
- stat
- immediately
- statin
- a class of cholesterol lowering drugs including simvastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, and pravastatin
- stenosis
- blockage. A stenosed artery is a blocked artery
- stent
- A small metal coil, slotted tube, or mesh cylinder placed in a collapsing artery to keep it open. It is a permanent implant. Think of a tiny Slinky made of chicken wire - see mbbnet.umn.edu/icons/stent.jpeg
- stomatitis
- imflammatory disease of the mouth
- stroke volume
- amount of blood pushed into the aorta with each heart beat. Stroke volume = EDV (end-diastolic volume) minus ESV (end-systolic volume)
- SV
- Stroke Volume
- SVR
- Systemic Vascular Resistance
- SVT
- Supra Ventricular Tachycardia
- sx
- symptoms
- synapse
- junctions at which a neuron communicates with another cell
- syncope
- fainting due to reduced blood flow to the brain
- systole
- the part of the heart's pumping cycle when the ventricles contract and push blood out into the body
- systolic (blood pressure)
- the first number in your blood pressure reading
- T-cell
- white blood cell with special cell surface receptors - highly involved in immune system responses
- T-wave
- part of the heart's electrical signal as seen on an EKG. See this page for EKG info and see this page for T-wave alternans
- tachycardia
- abnormally fast heart rate
- tachyphylaxis
- less response after repeated applications. If you take certain drugs long-term, you must raise the dose after awhile to get the same effect. This is tachyphylaxis
- TDI
- Tissue Doppler Imaging - a type of echocardiogram used to see if your heart chambers are beating properly as a team. If not, a BiV pacemaker will probably help.
- TEE
- Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram in which the transducer is temporarily "swallowed" for better internal pictures
- thrombocytopenia
- chronic low level of blood platelets, also called thrombopenia. Can cause bleeding complications
- thromboembolism
- blockage of an artery caused by a blood clot moving into an artery too small to carry it. Can cause heart attack or stroke
- thrombolytic
- used to break up a thrombus (stationary blood clot)
- thrombus
- blood clot that has not broken loose into the blood stream - it is attached to a blood vessel wall or organ wall
- thymus
- a gland in the upper chest/lower neck where T cells develop, part of the immune system
- TIA
- Transient Ischemic Attack - small, sometimes undiagnosed strokes caused by tiny blood clots
- tid
- three times per day - as in, take this pill three times a day
- titrate
- raise drug dose over time to desired target dose
- TMR
- TransMyocardial Revascularization - see TMLR
- TMLR
- TransMyocardial Laser Revascularization - surgery done to relieve angina (chest pain) where a laser burns dozens of tiny holes in your heart to let blood reach more heart tissue
- TNF
- Tumor Necrosis Factor. Produced in the heart, this protein can cause or worsen inflammation and heart failure, and can trigger muscle cell death called apoptosis.
- TNTC
- Too Numerous To Count
- trigeminy
- an arrhythmia where heart beats are grouped in a repeating pattern of threes, usually 2 normal beats followed by one beat where the heart contracts too soon - a PVC or PAC. This is often followed by a pause while your heart resets its electrical system, resulting in a palpitation
- troponin I
- set of peptides that along with calcium help regulate the heart's beating. Troponin I is only found in heart muscle and blood levels are high for between 6 hours and a few days after heart muscle damage. High blood level, along with high level of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) suggest that you have had a heart attack
- vascular
- having to do with blood vessels (can also mean the vessels lymph fluid moves through)
- vasoconstriction
- narrowing of blood vessels. This raises blood pressure and makes the heart work harder
- vasodilation
- widening or relaxing of blood vessels. This lowers blood pressure and eases the heart's workload
- vasopressin
- a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland, it raises blood pressure and makes the body retain fluid - also called ADH
- vasopressor
- causing the muscular part of blood vessels to contract - see vasoconstrictor
- VEGF
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - substance produced by genes that stimulates growth of new blood vessels
- ventricular fibrillation
- fast, uncoordinated, fluttering beats of the heart's ventricles, causing heart beat and pulse beat to go out of synch. This is exremely dangerous
- VF
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- viscera
- internal organ such as heart, liver, kidney
- visceral
- relating to an internal organ such as the heart, liver, kidney
- Vo2max Stress Test
- Oxygen consumption exercise test - see this page. Also called CPX (cardiopulmonary stress test), mVo2, and peak Vo2
- volume overload
- state where heart is too weak to keep up with the amount of blood coming to it from the lungs - when you are volume-overloaded, you are "in" heart failure
- VRT
- Ventricular Resynchronization Therapy, an internal pacemaker used to force the heart's chambers to beat properly as a coordinated team. Also called CRT for Cardiac Resychronization Therapy. See this page
- VT
- Ventricular Tachycardia - a too-fast heart rate. Can be "sustained" (long runs, possibly dangerous) or "nonsustained" (intermittent short runs)
- V-tach
- Ventricular Tachycardia - a too-fast heart rate. Can be "sustained" (long runs, possibly dangerous) or "nonsustained" (intermittent short runs)
- warm
- referring to heart failure patients, warm means blood is flowing in sufficient amounts to your internal organs for those organs to function properly. Opposite of cold
- WD
- Well Developed
- wedge pressure
- See PCWP
- WPWS
- Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome
- xenotransplant
- transplanting an animal (non-human) organ into a human, usually from a pig
More terms defined here
All information on this site is opinion only. All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been re-written in plain English and may contain errors. I am not a doctor. Use the reference information at the end of each article to search MedLine for more complete and accurate information. All original copyrights apply. No information on this page should be used by any person to affect their medical, legal, educational, social, or psychological treatment in any way. I am not a doctor. This web site and all its pages, graphics, and content copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Jon C.