Glossary

Aerobic exercise—

light and repeated exercise done over a continuous time, so that you will be using the same amount of oxygen and energy that your heart can supply to your muscles.

Angina—

chest pain due to a short-lived difference between the need for oxygen and the supply of oxygen to the heart. Most often, angina is chronic, caused by a limited blood supply due to narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle.

Aorta—

the main artery in the body. The divisions of the aorta are abdominal aorta, thoracic aorta, aortic artery and ascending aorta.

Aortic valve—

valve between the left ventricle and the ascending aorta.

Arteries—

blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the tissues. The arteries carry the oxygenated blood from the right and left ventricles of the heart to all parts of the body.

Arteriosclerosis—

“hardening of the arteries.” Artery walls become thick and lose their ability to stretch.

Atherosclerosis—

artery wall becomes thick and irregular because of deposits of a fatty substance. These deposits decrease the width of the artery.

Atrial fibrillation—

abnormal heart rhythm where the atria (upper chambers of the heart) quiver instead of beating normally.

Atrium—

the upper chamber of the heart.

Cardiovascular—

related to the heart and blood vessels.

Calorie—

a unit that measures the amount of energy in food.

Cholesterol—

a fatty substance found in animal fats in the diet and also made by the liver. Cholesterol contributes to the fatty deposits in atherosclerosis.

Heart failure—

when the heart does not pump correctly, blood backs up in the veins.

Coronary arteries—

blood vessels that supply blood directly to the heart muscle.

Coronary artery disease—

heart disease caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries and resulting in decreased blood to the heart muscle; also known as coronary heart disease.

Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)—

a graphic record of the electrical impulses of the heart.

Lipids—

a fatty substance.

Mitral valve—

valve between the left atrium and left ventricle.

Monosaturated fat—

type of fat that comes from plants and helps to lower blood cholesterol when used instead of saturated fats.

Myocardial infarct (MI or heart attack)—

an area in the cardiac muscle that dies after blood supply has been cut off.

Polyunsaturated fat—

a type of fat that comes from plants. These fats tend to lower both good and bad cholesterol and should be used in very small amounts.

Potassium—

a mineral in the body necessary for normal fluid balance, normal muscle squeezing and for delivery of nerve impulses.

Progressive cardiac exercise (PCE)—

a program of physical activity aimed to prevent the effects of inactivity, improve heart functioning and assist in a healthier way of life.

Pulmonary artery—

artery that carries blood to the lungs.

Pulmonic or Pulmonary valve—

valve separating the pulmonary artery and right ventricle.

Saturated fat—

a type of fat that comes from animals. These fats tend to raise blood cholesterol levels.

Septum—

a wall dividing two cavities.

Sodium—

a mineral that helps control blood pressure, the amount of blood, and the amount of fluid around the body’s cells. Sodium is needed for the squeezing of the heart and other muscles and for delivery of nerve impulses.

Stroke—

a block in blood supply to some part of the brain.

Tricuspid valve—

valve between the right atrium and right ventricle.

Ventricle—

the lower chambers of the heart.