Atherosclerosis (Hardening of the Arteries) Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

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

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Amputation: Removal of part or all of a body part that is enclosed by skin. Amputation can...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness, as when an anesthetic is administered before sur...

Angina: Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The pain is ...

Angiography: A procedure performed to view blood vessels after injecting them with a radio...

Angioplasty: Procedure with a balloon-tipped catheter to enlarge a narrowing in a coronary...

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Aorta: The largest artery in the body, the aorta arises from the left ventricle of the he...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Arteriosclerosis: Hardening and thickening of the walls of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis ...

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Atherosclerosis: A process of progressive thickening and hardening of the walls of medium-...

Balloon angioplasty: Coronary angioplasty is accomplished using a balloon-tipped catheter ...

Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder a...

Bile acid: An acid made by the liver that works with bile to break down fats.

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Blood clot: A mass of coagulated blood. A blood clot can block a major blood vessel, causi...

Blood glucose: The main sugar that the body makes from the food in the diet. Glucose is ca...

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

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

BMI: Body mass index.

Body mass index: A key index for relating weight to height. Abbreviated BMI. BMI is a pers...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Bypass: An operation in which a new pathway is created for the transport of substances in ...

Calcification: The process of suffusing tissues with calcium salts.

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiologist: A physician who specializes in treating heart disorders.

Cardiology: The study and treatment of heart disorders.

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

Carotid: Pertaining to the carotid artery and the area near that key artery, which is loca...

Carotid artery: Either of the two key arteries located in the front of the neck, through w...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Cerebrovascular: Pertaining to the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply...

Cerebrovascular disease: Disease of the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that s...

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...

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

Claudication: Limping. From the Latin claudicare, which means 'to limp.' The Roman emperor...

Clinical trial: A study that is intended to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medic...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

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

Coronary arteries: The vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood rich in oxygen. The...

Coronary artery disease: Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood t...

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

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

ECG: Electrocardiogram.

Echocardiography: Echocardiography is a diagnostic test which uses ultrasound waves to m...

Endarterectomy: An operation to clean out an artery and restore normal blood flow through ...

Endothelium: A layer of flat cells lining the closed internal spaces of the body such as t...

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

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

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

Familial hypercholesterolemia: The most common inherited type of hyperlipidemia (high lipi...

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

Fiber: The parts of fruits and vegetables that cannot be digested. Fiber is of vital impor...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Glucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo...

Glycosylated hemoglobin: Hemoglobin to which glucose is bound. Glycosylated hemoglobin is...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

HDL: High density lipoprotein.

HDL cholesterol: High density lipoprotein cholesterol. Lipoproteins, which are combination...

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

Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. He...

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

Hypercholesterolemia: High blood cholesterol. This can be sporadic (occurring with no fami...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

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

Intermittent claudication: An aching, crampy, tired, and sometimes burning pain in the leg...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Ischemia: Inadequate blood supply to a local area due to blockage of blood vessels leading...

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

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

LDL cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly referred to as 'bad' choles...

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

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lipid: Another word for "fat." (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) A lipid is more f...

Lipid profile: A pattern of lipids in the blood. A lipid profile usually includes the leve...

Lipids: Another word for "fats." (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) Lipids can be m...

Lipitor: See: Atorvastatin.

Lipoprotein: A molecule that is a combination of lipid and protein. Lipids do not travel i...

Lumen: A luminous term referring to the channel within a tube such as a blood vessel or to...

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

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

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

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

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

NHLBI: Stands for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one of the National Insti...

Niacin: Nicotinic acid, one of the B-complex B vitamins. Deficiency of niacin in the diet...

Nicotinic acid: Deficiency of nicotinic acid (also known as niacin), one of the B-complex ...

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

Obesity: The state of being well above one's normal weight.

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Overweight: The term "overweight" is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way ...

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

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

Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

Perfusion: A chemotherapy technique that may be used when melanoma occurs on an arm or leg...

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

Plaque: 1. An semi-hardened accumulation of substances from fluids that bathe an a...

Probability: The likelihood that something will happen. For example, a probability of less...

Probe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e...

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

Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances a...

Radiopaque: Opaque to one or another form of radiation, such as X-rays. Radiopaque objects...

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

Respiration: The act of inhaling and exhaling air in order to exchange oxygen for carbon d...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Saturated fat: A fat that contains only saturated fatty acids, is solid at room temperatur...

Scaffold: 1. In genetics, the chromosome structure consisting entirely of nonhiston...

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

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

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

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

Statins: A class of drugs that lower cholesterol.

Stent: A tube designed to be inserted into a vessel or passageway to keep it open. Stents ...

Stethoscope: An instrument that is used to transmit low-volume sounds such as a heartbeat ...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

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...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

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

Treadmill: A machine with a moving strip on which one walks without moving forward. A trea...

Triglycerides: The major form of fat stored by the body. A triglyceride consists of three ...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

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

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 ...

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

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

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

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