| cardiovascular disease (CVD) | The collective term for various forms of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
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| atria | The two upper chambers of the heart in which blood collects before passing to the ventricles; also called auricles.
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| vena cava | The large vein through which blood is returned to the right atrium of the heart.
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| ventricles | The two lower chambers of the heart from which blood flows through arteries to the lungs and other parts of the body.
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| aorta | The large artery that receives blood from the left ventricle and distributes it to the body.
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| veins | Vessels that carry blood to the heart.
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| arteries | Vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
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| capillaries | Very small blood vessels that distribute blood to all parts of the body.
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| platelets | Microscopic disk-shaped cell fragments in the blood that disintegrate on contact with foreign objects and release chemicals that are necessary for the formation of blood clots.
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| hypertension | Sustained abnormally high blood pressure.
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| atherosclerosis | A form of CVD in which the inner layers of artery walls are made thick and irregular by plaque deposits; arteries become narrow and blood supply is reduced.
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| low-density lipoproteins (LDL) | Blood fat that transports cholesterol from the liver to organs and tissues; excess is deposited on artery walls, where it can eventually block the flow of blood to the heart and brain; "bad" cholesterol.
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| high-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Blood fat that helps transport cholesterol out of the arteries and thus protects against heart diseases; "good" cholesterol.
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| plaque | A deposit of fatty (and other) substances on the inner wall of the arteries.
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| coronary heart disease (CHD) | Heart disease caused by atherosclerosis in the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart muscle; also called coronary artery disease.
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| heart attack | Damage to, or death of, heart muscle, sometimes resulting in a failure of the heart to deliver enough blood to the body, also known as a cardial infarction (MI).
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| coronary thrombosis | A clot in a coronary artery, often causing sudden death.
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| angina pectoris | A condition in which the heart muscle does not receive enough blood, causing severe pain in the chest and often in the left arm and shoulder.
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| arrhythmia | A change in the normal pattern of the heartbeat.
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| cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) | A technique involving mouth-to-mouth breathing and chest compression to keep oxygen flowing to the brain.
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| electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) | A test to detect abnormalities by measuring the electrical activity in the heart.
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| stroke | An impeded blood supply to some part of the brain resulting in the destruction of brain cells; also called cerebrovascular accident.
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| thrombus | A blood clot in a blood vessel that usually occurs at the point of its formation.
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| embolus | A blood clot that breaks off from its place of origin in a blood vessel and travels through the bloodstream.
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| aneurysm | A sac formed by a distention or dilation of the artery wall.
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| transient ischemic attack (TIA) | A small stroke; usually a temporary interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing numbness or difficulty with speech.
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| computed tomography (CT) | The use of computerized X ray images to create a cross-sectional depiction (scan) of tissue density.
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| congestive heart failure | A condition resulting from the heart's inability to pump out all the blood that returns to it; blood backs up in the veins leading to the heart, causing an accumulation of fluid in various parts of the body.
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| congenital heart disease | A defect or malformation of the heart or its major blood vessels, present at birth.
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| rheumatic fever | A disease, mainly of children, characterized by fever, inflammation, and pain in the joints; often damages the heart muscle.
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| cancer | Abnormal, uncontrolled cellular growth.
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| malignant tumor | A tumor that is cancerous and capable of spreading.
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| benign tumor | A tumor that is not cancerous.
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| lymphatic system | A system of vessels that returns proteins, lipids, and other substances from fluid in the tissues to the circulatory system.
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| biopsy | The removal and examination of a small piece of body tissue; a needle biopsy uses a needle to remove a small sample; some biopsies require surgery.
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| metastasis | The spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another.
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| bone marrow | Soft vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that produces blood cells.
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| carcinogen | Any substance that causes cancer.
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| chemotherapy | The treatment of cancer with chemicals that selectively destroy cancerous cells.
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| remission | A period during the course of cancer in which there are no symptoms or other evidence of disease.
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| mammography | Low-dose X rays of the breasts used to check for early signs of breast cancer.
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| PSA blood test | A diagnostic test for prostate cancer that measures blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
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| Pap test | A scraping of cells from the cervix for examination under a microscope to detect cancer.
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| melanoma | A malignant tumor of the skin that arises from pigmented cells, usually a mole.
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| ultraviolet (UV) radiation | Light rays of a specific wavelength emitted by the sun; most UV rays are blocked by the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere.
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| basal cell carcinoma | Cancer of the deepest layers of the skin.
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| squamous cell carcinoma | Cancer of the surface layers of the skin.
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| chromosomes | The threadlike bodies in a cell nucleus that contain molecules of DNA; most human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes.
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| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid, a chemical substance that carries genetic information.
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| gene | A section of a chromosome that contains the nucleo-tide base sequence for making a particular protein; the basic unit of heredity.
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| oncogene | A gene involved in the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell.
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| suppressor gene | A type of oncogene that normally functions to restrain cellular growth.
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| carotenoid | Any of a group of yellow to red plant pigments that can be converted to vitamin A by the liver; many act as antioxidants or have other anticancer effects. The carotenoids include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.
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| antioxidant | A substance that can lessen the breakdown of food or body constituents; actions include binding oxygen and donating electrons to free radicals.
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| free radicals | Electron-seeking compounds that can react with fats, proteins, and DNA, damaging cell membranes and mutating genes in their search for electrons; produced through chemical reactions in the body and by exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight and tobacco smoke.
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| phytochemical | A naturally occurring substance found in plant foods that may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease; phyto means plant.
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| sudden cardiac death | A nontraumatic, unexpected death from sudden cardiac arrest, most often due to arrhythmia; in most instances, victims have underlying heart disease.
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| ischemic stroke | Impeded blood supply to the brain caused by the obstruction of a blood vessel by a clot.
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| hemorrhagic stroke | Impeded blood supply to the brain caused by the rupture of a blood vessel.
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| hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | An inherited condition in which there is an enlargement of the heart muscle, especially between the two ventricles.
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| mitral valve prolapse | A condition in which the mitral valve "billows" out during ventricular condition, possible allowing leakage of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium; often asymptomatic and usually only requiring treatment in cases of significant leakage.
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| glycemic index | A measure of how the ingestion of a particular food affects blood glucose levels.
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