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Medical Glossary
Home > Heart Health > Medical Glossary
Aorta
A blood vessel of arterial type, which is the largest artery in the human body. It originates from the left ventricle of the heart and ends in the pelvis, where it divides into two femoral arteries, each of which supplies one of the lower extremities, the right and the left, respectively. Along its entire course, smaller arteries originate from the aorta, which supply oxygenated blood to all body organs.
Blood pressure

Pressure exerted by blood on the blood vessels during flow.

Blood pressure is measured during two distinct phases: The first phase, the systolic pressure, is measured during the contraction of the heart and it is mainly affected by the strength of the contraction. The reading is called systolic blood pressure value.

The second phase is the diastolic pressure, during the relaxation phase of the heart and it reflects mainly the resistance of the vessels to flow, or in other words the elasticity of the vessel, for which the measurement is taken. The reading is called diastolic blood pressure value.

Blood pressure is expressed in units of mm Hg (height of mercury column in millimeters).

The instrument used for this measurement is called sphygmomanometer and blood pressure is usually measured in the brachial artery (in the arm).

A cuff is put on the arm and inflated until the pressure exerted on the artery is higher than the systolic value. Thus, in fact, blood flow in the artery is interrupted.

In the next stage, the pressure in the cuff is slowly released and at the same time pulse sounds are auscultated by means of a stethoscope.

When pulse can be heard again (blood flow is restituted), the artery pressure is equal to the cuff pressure. This point is the systolic value. The point in which pulse sounds disappear again is the diastolic pressure value.

Blood pressure tends to be affected by age, gender, race, body weight, nutrition, genetics and more.

Blood pressure values may also differ at different day times and depend on exercise, season of the year and other factors.

If blood pressure values on repeat measurements exceed 140/90, the condition is called Hypertension, and follow-up and treatment are mandatory.

 

Cardiac membrane

See entry: Pericardium

Cardiac Output

The quantity of blood that the heart pumps in one minute. It is the product of the stroke volume (the blood quantity sent to the circulation by each heart beat) multiplied by heart rate (number of beats per minute).

At rest, cardiac output is approximately 5 liters per minute. During physical strain, cardiac output increases with exertion and can reach even 35 liters per minute.

Diastole

The relaxation phase of the heart muscle.

This phase takes place between two contractions and during it the heart is being filled with blood.

Heart rate (pulse rate)
See under: Pulse.
Heartbeat
See under Pulse.
Pulse

The pulse that is measured reflects the number of heart beats per minute, or in other words - the heart rate. (Heart beat is defined as one systole and one diastole.)

The normal pulse rate of an adult person is between 60 - 100 per minute and tends to increase in states of exertion or excitement and to decrease at rest or during sleep.

The pulse can be felt due to contraction and widening of an artery palpated following filling or emptying of blood through the action of the heart.

The pulse can be felt in the Radial artery (in the wrist), in the Femoral artery (in the inguinal region), in the Carotid artery (in the neck) as well as in other locations of the body.
Systole

The phase, during which the ventricles contract and propel blood included in them to the main blood vessels.

The left ventricle sends oxygen-rich blood to the Aorta, while the right ventricle forces oxygen-depleted blood to the Pulmonary artery.

Vagus nerve

The tenth cranial nerve. It is called "Vagus" (aberrant in Latin) due to its very long path in the body.

The Vagus nerve has many branches and it innervates many organs of the body, among others the Urinary tract, the Digestive system and the heart.

It effects the heart by slowing the heart rate.

The term "Vaso-Vagal episode" relates to over- activity of the Vagus.

Such activity can cause slowing down of the heart rate and decrease of blood pressure and as a consequence fainting. Such episodes can happen as a reaction to pain, mental stress, anxiety or stimulation of other organs that are innervated by the Vagus nerve, for example during urination or bowel movement.

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