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ACE (medication)
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitor - Medication given to reduce the workload of the heart
Acute Myocardial Infarction
Medical term for a heart attack
Agnosia
The patient cannot interpret hearing or touch or visual sensations correctly
AHPs
Allied Health Professional - Term for a health professional apart from nurse or doctor eg. Physiotherapist
Allied health professions (AHPs)
Healthcare professionals directly involved in the provision of primary and secondary healthcare. Includes several groups such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, etc. Formerly known as professions allied to medicine (PAMs)
Amnesia
Loss of memory
Aneurysm
Swelling and ballooning out of blood vessel wall.
Angina
Chest pain or dyspnoea caused by lack of blood flow to the heart
Angiogram
Procedure examining the coronary arteries
Angioplasty
Procedure to stretch narrowed coronary arteries to improve the blood flow to the heart
Anti-arrhythmic
Medication given to treat arrhythmia
Anticoagulants
A drug therapy used to prevent the formation of blood clots that can become lodged in cerebral arteries and cause strokes
Antiplatelet agents
Medication which prevents the blood clotting
Aphagia
Inability to swallow
Aphasia
Inability to speak or use language
Apraxia
Difficulty in coordinating movement or speaking
Arrhythmia
Medical term for all irregular Heart Rhythms
Arteries
Blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart to supply the tissues.
Asprin
Anti-platelet medication
Atheroma
Build up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels which restricts blood flow
Atherosclerosis
Build of fatty deposits in the blood vessels walls which restricts blood flow
Atrial fibrillation
Irregular Heart Rhythm
Beta-Blocker
Medication given to control the heart rate and rhythm
Blood pressure
Measurement of the pressure within the arteries
Bradycardia
Slow heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute).
Cardiac arrest
Emergency where the heart stops beating
Cardiac enzymes
A Blood test to diagnose a heart attack
Carer
A person who looks after family, partners or friends in need of help because they are ill, frail or have a disability. The care they provide is unpaid.
Carotid artery
Blood Vessels which supply blood to the brain located in the neck
Carotid endarterectomy
Procedure to clear blockage from a carotid artery
Cerebrovascular disease
Any disorder of the blood vessels of the brain and its covering membranes.
CHD
See coronary heart disease
Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS)
Medical charity working to improve the quality of life for people suffering from Chest, Heart & Stroke illnesses in Scotland
Cholesterol
Fat which leads to fatty deposits in the arteries
CHSS
See Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland.
Community Health Partnership (CHP)
Nework of professionals aiming to improve the standards and quality of life in a local community.
Computed tomography (CT) scan
A series of cross-sectional X-rays of the brain and head; also called computerized axial tomography or CAT scan.
Coronary Artery
Blood vessel which supplies blood to the tissues of the heart
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts
Surgical treatment for severe coronary artery disease
Coronary Artery Disease
Narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood
Coronary Care Unit
Ward of a hospital where you would be taken with an emergency Heart Problem
CT
See computerised tomography.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Blood clot in a vein in the leg.
Defibrillator
Machine used to deliver an electric shock to the heart to restart or correct abnormal heart rhythms
Diabetes
A disorder characterised by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream.
Diabetes mellitus
A condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.
Diabetic
Having diabetes.
Dipyridamol (medication)
An antiplatelet agent which is often used with aspirin.
Diuretic (medication)
Medication used to remove excess fluid from the body.
Dysarthria
Difficulty in communicating due to weakness of the muscles used in speaking
Dysphagia
Difficulty in eating and/or swallowing
Dysphasia
Difficulty in using and understanding language
ECG
See electrocardiogram.
Echocardiography
An ultrasound to look at the structure and movement of the Heart muscle
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
A tracing on paper of the electrical activity of the heart rate and rhythm
Electrocardiogram Treadmill Test
A recording of the heart's rate and rhythm while walking on a treadmill
GP
General Practitioner
Haemorrhagic stroke
Sudden bleeding into or around the brain.
Heart
Muscle which pumps blood around the body, its rate and rhythm are controlled by electrical conduction
Heart Attack
Damage to the heart caused by a clot in the coronary arteries, requires emergency treatment in hospital
Heart Block
Interruption of the electrical pathway causing a slowing of the heart rate
Heart Failure
Heart failure condition when the heart muscle is weakened and less efficient at pumping blood around the body
Heart Rate
The speed at which the heart is beating per minute
Heart Rhythm
The regulatory with which the heart is beating
Hemianopia
Blindness in half of the visual field affecting both eyes
Hemiparesis
Weakness on one side of the body
Hemiplegia
Paralysis on one side of the body.
High Blood Pressure
When the pressure within the arteries is too high
Hypertension
Elevation of the arterial blood pressure above the normal range expected in a particular age group.
Infarct
Scarred or permanently damaged area of heart muscle.
Ischaemia
A loss of blood flow to tissue, caused by an obstruction of the blood vessel, usually in the form of plaque stenosis or a blood clot.
Ischaemic heart disease
Heart disease caused by inadequate blood supply
Ischaemic stroke
Ischemia in the tissues of the brain.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
Scan a type of imaging involving the use of magnetic fields to detect subtle changes in the water content of tissues.
MRI
See magnetic resonance imaging.
Multi-Infarct Dementia
Long term confusion caused by a series of small strokes
Myocardial infarction
Medical term for a heart attack
Myocardium
Heart muscle
Neurovascular
Of, relating to, or affecting both the nerves and the blood vessels.
Pacemaker
Small electrical device implanted surgically to regulate an abnormal rhythm
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Term for any invasive investigation or procedure which looks at the coronary arteries
Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)
Procedure to stretch narrowed coronary arteries to improve the blood flow to the heart
Risk factor
A situation that leads to an increased chance of developing a disease e.g. smoking is a risk factor for coronary artery disease
rt-PA
See recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.
Speech & language therapist
Allied Health Professional (AHP) who addresses communication problems
SSCAS
Scottish Stroke Care Audit System
S-T Elevation Myocardial Infarction
A serious heart attack
Stenosis
Narrowing of an artery due to the build up of plaque on the inside wall of the artery.
Stroke
Disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain with damages the surrounding brain cells
Subarachnoid haemorrhagic
Ruptured blood vessel which has bleed into the brain
Tachycardia
When the heart rate (HR) is fast (>100 beats per minute)
Thrombolysis
A 'clot busting' drug used to dissolve a clot which is causing a heart attack
Thrombosis
Blockage in a blood vessel due to a clot
TIA
TIA medical classification of a mini-stroke; symptoms last less than 24 hours
Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
Transient ischemic attack (TIA) medical classification of a mini-stroke; symptoms last less than 24 hours
Trans-Oesphageal Endoscopy
A procedure to view the Heart's structure from the oesophagus (which leads into the stomach)
Warfarin
A commonly used anticoagulant, also known as Coumadin®.