1.4 cardiovascular diseases and disorders

• cardiovascular disease: one of many disorders-coronary heart disease, strokes, and varicose veins- that affect the heart and/or the blood vessels
• atherosclerosis (blood vessel disease): hardening of the arteries due to accumulation of fatty deposits
• coronary heart disease (heart disease): restricted blood flow through coronary arteries resulting in chest pain and heart attack
• heart attack (heart disease): clot in coronary artery cuts off blood supply to heart muscle and tissue dies
• stroke (blood vessel disease): sudden loss of brain function caused by and interruption of blood flow to the brain
• aneurysm (blood vessel disease): bulging or weakness in wall of artery of vein
• valvular heart disease (heart disease): diseases of heart valves leading to narrowing , leaking, or improper closing of valves
• septal heart defects (heart disease): opening within the septum that allows blood flow between left and right ventricles of heart
• cholesterol: a waxy, fat-like substance present in the cell membrane of every body cell and in food from animal sources. high levels of cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular disease
• plaque: a semi-hardened accumulation of substance originally suspended in a fluid
• low-density lipoprotein (LDL): a blood protein that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream from the liver to the rest of the body. too much LDL in the blood leads to deposits on the walls of arteries, this is referred to as "bad cholesterol"
• high-density lipoprotein (HDL): a blood protein that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream from the body cells to the liver. High levels of HDL in the blood means it is less likely that deposits will form on the walls of arteries, this is referred to as "good cholesterol"
• atherosclerosis: a hardening of the arteries due to the accumulation of fatty deposits
• coronary heart disease: a disease in which blood flow through the coronary arteries is restricted, possibly resulting in chest pain and/or heart attacks
• angina: chest pain caused by a narrowing of vessels that supply blood to the heart tissue
• heart attack: the death of heart cells due to a blockage in the coronary arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the heart
• stroke: a sudden loss of brain function caused by an interruption in the blood flow to the brain
• essential fatty acid: a fatty acid that the body cannot synthesize itself and must be obtained from food
• aneurysm: a widening or bulging of a blood vessel due to a weakening of the vessel wall
• septal defect: a condition where the opening between the left and right halves of the heart fails to close before birth, causing excess blood to be pumped to the lungs