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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 - V
Valve
A flap-like structure in the heart that controls the one-way passage of blood through the organ.
Vena cavae
Either of two large veins conveying deoxygenated blood to the heart. The superior vena cava carries blood from the upper part of the body (i.e. from the head, neck, and chest area upward of the fifth lumbar vertebra), while the inferior vena cava carries blood from the lower part of the body (i.e. downward from the fifth lumbar vertebra).
Ventricular fibrillation
A potentially fatal form of cardiac rhythm disturbance where the ventricles quiver or flutter, instead of contracting (or beating) normally. This prohibits the heart from pumping any blood, causing collapse and cardiac arrest.
Ventricular tachycardia
An abnormally fast heart rate, usually more than 120 beats per minute, arising from rapid beating of ventricles.
Vein
A vessel that conveys blood back to the heart. It generally carries deoxygenated blood, except for the pulmonary vein, which transports oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the left side of the heart.
Ventricles
The two lower chambers of the heart that hold blood to be pumped out of the heart. The right ventricle contains deoxygenated blood to be transported via the pulmonary arteries to the lungs. The left ventricle, in contrast, holds oxygenated blood to be distributed to other parts of the body via the aorta.
Ventricular septal defect
A congenital heart defect in the form of a hole between the two ventricles.
