Heart Index A-Z

Information and advice on heart conditions & stroke disease, everything from prevention to illness for your wellbeing.

Read our glossary of related words with definitions by clicking on the alphabet below.

Heart Index - A

Adrenaline

A hormone secreted in response to stress and increases heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure.

Aorta

The largest artery in the body, and also the artery that carries oxygenated blood out of the heart for distribution to other parts of the body.

Aortic valve

The valve that separates the aorta from the left ventricle of the heart.

Atria (sg. atrium)

The upper cavities of the heart. They receive blood that is returned to the heart. The left atrium contains oxygen-rich blood flowing back from the lungs, while the right atrium contains deoxygenated blood from other parts of the body.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A small portable electrical device that automatically analyses potentially life-threatening cardiac rhythms in a patient and treats it by defibrillation – the application of an electrical shock to allow the heart to re-establish normal rhythms.

While AEDs do not need to be administered by medically trained professional, AED training for the lay user is recommended to enable more expedient and appropriate use of the device.

Angina

Short for angina pectoris. A squeezing chest pain and/or discomfort that may radiate to the neck, jaw, abdomen, and upper left part of the body. The pain and/or discomfort is a signal that the heart is not receiving sufficient blood and oxygen.

Aortic stenosis

Abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve. It may arise as a congenital heart defect, or rheumatic heart disease or aging.

Artery

A blood vessel that conveys blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. It generally carries blood that is rich in oxygen. The exception in humans is the pulmonary artery which transports deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs.