Glossary of Terms

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Heart Attack:  Occurs when blockages in the heart’s blood vessels prevent proper flow, causing the heart muscle to die. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is often mistaken for a massive heart attack. (see Sudden Cardiac Arrest)

Heart Block:  An interruption of the electrical pathway causing a slowing of the heart rate.

Heart Failure:  A condition where the heart fails in its duties of circulating blood through the lungs and back out to the tissues. Congestive heart failure refers to a heart failure condition in which the body has accumulated extra fluid so that the lungs are congested.

Heart Valve Prolapse:   A condition of the heart valve where is it partially open instead of being closed.

High Blood Pressure:  The pressure in the blood vessels that is above the normal range. Also known as Hypertension.

High Density Lipoprotein:  The “good” cholesterol that promotes breakdown and removal of cholesterol from the body.

Hypertension:  High blood pressure that is exerted against the walls of blood vessels as blood is pumped through the body.

Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy:  Is a disease of the myocardium (the muscle of the heart) in which a portion of the myocardium is thickened without any obvious cause. It is most well known as a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
Hypotension: Low blood pressure.