View by letter A B C D E F G H I J K
L M N O
P Q R S T
U V W X Y Z
A
Ablation – Procedure to treat AFib that uses the blood vessels
to access or reach the heart. A small, flexible catheter is passed into the heart
through a tiny opening in the vein or artery in the groin that will deliver radio
frequency waves to ablate or “burn” the area causing AFib.
Adrenaline – A hormone released by the adrenal glands in response
to stress and other stimuli.
Angina – Chest pain or discomfort that happens when your heart
doesn’t get as much blood and oxygen as it needs.
Antiarrhythmic medication – A medication aimed at treating abnormal
heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation and maintaining normal sinus rhythm, if possible.
Anticoagulant – A medicine that thins the blood and helps prevent blood
from clotting, sometimes referred to as a “blood thinner”
Anticoagulation – The process of thinning the blood to help prevent
it from clotting.
Arrhythmia – Any change in the normal rhythm of the heart.
Atherosclerosis – The progressive buildup of plaque in the arteries
over time. One major cause of plaque buildup is high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – The most common type of arrhythmia.
When you have AFib, the atria of the heart quiver rapidly and unevenly—changing
the constant rhythm of the heart.
Atrial flutter (AFlutter) – A temporary or long-term disturbance
in the rhythm of the heart that often occurs with AFib.
Atrium (plural atria) – One of the two smaller, upper chambers
of the heart. The right atrium receives blood from the body. The left atrium receives
blood from the lungs.
AV node – Specialized node of tissue in the heart that plays a
key role in controlling heart rate.
B
Bradycardia – Slowness of the heartbeat, usually defined as a rate
under 60 beats per minute.
Bundle branches – Tracts of fibers that carry impulses from the
AV node down throughout the ventricles.
C
Cardiovascular – Involving the heart and blood vessels.
Cardioversion – An approach to convert (change) the heart rhythm
from atrial fibrillation into normal sinus rhythm. May be accomplished by an electrical
shock (electric cardioversion) or by special medication (pharmacologic cardioversion).
Clot – A clump of blood that can form when the flow of blood is
slowed down.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) – A condition in which the heart
can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs. The heart keeps working, but
not as efficiently as it should. People with congestive heart failure have difficulty
exerting themselves because they become short of breath and tired.
D
Diabetes – A disease where the body doesn’t make enough insulin,
or can’t use its own insulin as it should.
E
Electrocardiogram (EKG) – A test your doctor uses to show how the
heart beats.
Episode – A single instance in an ongoing series. In AFib, this
could be a period of time in which your heart is out of normal sinus rhythm.
H
Heart attack – Also known as a myocardial infarction.
The damaging or death of a portion of the heart muscle (myocardium) caused by a
blocked blood supply to that area.
Heart disease – Any condition that doesn’t allow the heart to function
normally.
Heart failure – A condition in which the heart can't pump enough
blood to the body's other organs. The heart keeps working, but not as efficiently
as it should. People with heart failure have difficulty exerting themselves because
they become short of breath and tired.
High blood pressure (hypertension) – High arterial blood pressure,
generally defined as being above 140 mm Hg systolic and 90 mm Hg diastolic. Normal
blood pressure is considered to be less than 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic
(120/80).
Holter monitor – A battery-powered device that records the heart’s
electrical activity. Also called an ambulatory EKG.
L
Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) – A measure of how much
blood is being pumped out of the left ventricle. This shows a doctor how strong
the heart muscle is and whether it’s pumping as much blood to the body as it should.
Lone AFib – Atrial fibrillation that occurs in an otherwise structurally
normal heart, in a patient without other cardiac disease.
M
Myocardial infarction – Also known as a heart attack.
The damaging or death of a portion of the heart muscle (myocardium) caused by a
blocked blood supply to that area.
N
Normal sinus rhythm – The normal, constant rhythm the heart beats
to.
O
Obesity – Having too much body fat. This is different from being
overweight, which means weighing too much. Weight can come from muscle, bone, fat,
and water.
P
Pacemaker – An electrical device (a small metal case containing a
tiny battery and computer chip) that creates an electrical impulse to stimulate the
heart muscle to contract in a more normal rhythm.
Palpitations – A term often used to describe an irregular heartbeat,
or the sensation of skipped or extra heartbeats.
Paroxysmal AFib – The heart is in and out of normal sinus rhythm.
Episodes come and go on their own, lasting no longer than 1 week.
Persistent AFib – Episodes last longer than 1 week and do not go
away on their own. Medical treatment is necessary to restore normal sinus rhythm.
Permanent AFib – A person’s irregular heartbeat does not return
to normal sinus rhythm, even with medical treatment.
Progressive disease – A disease that gets worse over time.
R
Rate – The speed of the heartbeats.
Recurrence – The return of the symptoms of a disease after a symptom-free
period.
Remodeling – The changing of the shape of the heart, which can
be caused by AFib.
Rhythm – Pattern of recurring heartbeats.
S
Stroke – An interruption of blood supply to the brain. A stroke
happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted because a blood vessel
in the brain is blocked or bursts open. If blood flow is stopped for longer than
a few seconds, the brain cannot get blood and oxygen. Brain cells can die, causing
permanent damage.
Structural heart disease – A disease that affects the heart muscle
itself, changing the architecture of the heart. Structural heart disease can be
present from birth or can develop over time.
Symptom – Evidence of disease observed by a patient.
T
Thoracotomy – A surgical incision through the chest, sometimes
used in treating AFib.
U
Ultrasound – Also called an echocardiogram. A technique
used to make images of the body’s tissues by recording the reflections of ultrasonic
waves (waves too high for humans to hear). Sometimes used to diagnose illnesses.
Unstable angina – When the symptoms of angina (chest pain or discomfort)
occur unpredictably, even at rest.
V
Ventricle – The two lower chambers of the heart. The left ventricle
pumps blood to the body. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs.