Cardiomyopathy Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For...

Acromegaly: Condition due to the production of too much growth hormone by the pituitary gl...

Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge...

Amyloid: Any of a number of complex proteins that are deposited in tissues and that share ...

Amyloidosis: A group of diseases that result from the abnormal deposition of a protein, ca...

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Angiotensin: A family of peptides that constrict blood vessels. Narrowing the diameter of ...

Angiotensin converting enzyme: Usually abbreviated ACE.

Arsenic: A metallic element that forms a number of poisonous compounds, arsenic is found i...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Atrium: An entry chamber. On both sides of the heart, the atrium is the chamber that leads...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Carbon dioxide: A gas which is the byproduct of cellular metabolism and which collects in ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiac output: The amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in a mi...

Cardiomyopathy: Disease of the heart muscle (myocardium).

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Collagen: The principal protein of the skin, tendons, cartilage, bone, and connective tiss...

Collagen disease: A disease that damages collagen or other components of connective tissue...

Congestive heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with f...

Contraction: The tightening and shortening of a muscle.

Defibrillator: A device that corrects an abnormal heart rhythm by delivering electrical sh...

Dermatomyositis: A chronic inflammatory disease of skin and muscle which is associated wit...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diabetes mellitus: Better known just as "diabetes" -- a chronic disease associated with ab...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilatation: The process of enlargement or expansion. Also known as dilation.

Dilated cardiomyopathy: A disorder in which the chambers of the heart are dilated (enlarge...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Ejection fraction: The percentage of blood that is pumped out of a filled ventricle as a r...

Electrocardiogram: A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG an...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

End stage: The last phase in the course of a progressive disease. As in end-stage liver di...

Endocrine: Pertaining to hormones and the glands that make and secrete them into the blood...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Extrinsic: 1. Not an essential or inherent part of a something such as a structure....

Fabry disease: A genetic disease caused by a mutation in the GLA gene, resulting in a defi...

Familial: A condition that tends to occur more often in family members than is expected by...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fibrillation: In cardiology, an abnormal and erratic twitching of the heart muscle.

Gaucher disease: A series of disorders that are due to deficient activity of the enzyme gl...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Heart muscle: A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart mus...

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

Hemochromatosis: An inherited disorder characterized by abnormally high absorption of iron...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Hyperparathyroidism: Too much parathyroid hormone resulting in abnormally high levels of ...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Hypertrophic: Exhibiting hypertrophy (enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or part of the...

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A heart defect characterized by increased thickness (hypertro...

Hypertrophy: Enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or part of the body due to the increase...

Hypothyroid: Deficiency of thyroid hormone which is normally made by the thyroid gland wh...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Infiltrate: To penetrate. For example, a cancer may grow into, or infiltrate, surrounding ...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Intrinsic: 1. An essential or inherent part of a something such as a structure.
...

Jugular: The principal vein in the front of either side of the neck. The word comes from t...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Kwashiorkor: A childhood disease that is caused by protein deprivation. Early signs includ...

Left ventricle: The left lower chamber of the heart that receives blood from the left atri...

Lethal: Deadly.

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Muscular dystrophy: One of a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakne...

Myocarditis: Inflammation of the myocardium, the heart muscle.

Myocardium: The heart muscle.

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Neuromuscular: Pertaining to both nerves and muscles, as in neuromuscular blockade by an a...

Obese: Well above ones normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obe...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pacemaker: A system that sends electrical impulses to the heart in order to set the hear...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In ...

Pericardium: The conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of ...

Pituitary: 1. As an adjective, pertaining to the pituitary gland or its hormonal se...

Polyarteritis nodosa: An autoimmune disease that is characterized by spontaneous inflammat...

Preeclampsia: A condition in pregnancy characterized by abrupt hypertension (a sharp rise...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Regimen: A plan or a regulated course, such as a diet, exercise, or treatment, that is des...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Respiratory rate: The number of breaths per minute or, more formally, the number of moveme...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Sarcoidosis: A disease of unknown origin that causes small lumps (granulomas) due to chron...

Scleroderma: A disease of connective tissue that causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to form in ...

Scurvy: A disorder that is caused by lack of vitamin C. Symptoms include anemia; soft, ble...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Stem cell: One of the human body's master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of ...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Stroke volume: The amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle of the heart in one contra...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thiamine: Vitamin B1. Thiamine (vitamin B1) acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of the bo...

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Trimester: In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy...

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Unconscious: 1. Interruption of awareness of oneself and one's surroundings, lack ...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Ventricle: A chamber of an organ. For example, the four connected cavities in the central ...

Ventricles: 1, The right ventricle and the left ventricle, the lower two chambers o...

Ventricular: Pertaining to the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart, as in ventricu...

Ventricular fibrillation: An abnormal and irregular heart rhythm in which there are rapid ...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Viral infection: Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on...

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Vitamin B1: Thiamine. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of the bo...

Water retention: A nonspecific term meaning the accumulation of excess fluids in body tiss...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...