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 area 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 – In AFib, one 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 heart 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 rate.

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 heartbeat stays in atrial fibrillation and cannot be returned to normal rhythm.²

R

Rate – The speed of the heartbeats.

Recurrence – The return of the symptoms of a disease after a symptom-free period.

Rhythm – The pattern that the heart beats to.

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 shape of the heart. Structural heart disease can be present from birth or can develop over time.

Symptom – Evidence of a disease that is seen or felt by a patient.

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.