Heart 
Failure
- Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor--A drug used to
decrease pressure inside blood vessels.
- Arrhythmia--An irregular heartbeat.
- Cardiomyoplasty--A surgical procedure that involves detaching
one end of a back muscle and attaching it to the heart. An
electric stimulator causes the muscle to contract to pump blood
from the heart.
- Congestive heart failure--A heart disease condition that involves loss of pumping ability by the heart, generally accompanied by
fluid accumulation in body tissues, especially the lungs.
- Diastolic heart failure--Inability of the heart to relax
properly and fill
with blood as a result of stiffening of the heart muscle.
- Dyspnea--Shortness of breath.
- Echocardiography--Recording sound waves bounced off the heart to
produce
images of the heart.
- Edema--Abnormal fluid accumulation in body tissues.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)--Measurement of electrical
activity associated with heartbeats.
- Heart failure--Loss of blood-pumping ability by the heart.
- Left ventricular assist device--A mechanical device used to
increase the
heart's pumping ability.
- Pulmonary congestion (or edema)--Fluid accumulation in the
lungs.
- Sudden cardiac death--Cardiac arrest caused by an irregular
heartbeat.
- Systolic heart failure--Inability of the heart to contract with
enough force to pump adequate amounts of blood through the body.
- Valves--Flap-like structures that control the direction of blood
flow through
the heart.
The information contained in these pages
is for educational / reference use only.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health
