Cardiovascular System Overview

Cardiovascular System Functions

• Distributes blood to all body areas
• Delivers needed substances to cells
• Removes wastes

Cardiovascular System Organs

• Heart
• Arteries
• Capillaries
• Veins

Cardiovascular Roots/Combining Forms

• angi/o: Vessel
• aort/o: Aorta
• arteri: Artery
• ather/o: Fatty substance
• atri/o: Atrium
• cardi/o: Heart
• phleb/o: Vein
• thromb/o: Clot
• valv/o: Valve
• -vascul/o: Blood vessel
• vas/o: Vessel, duct
• ven/o: Vein
• ventricul/o: Ventricle

Cardiovascular Prefixes and Suffixes

• brady-: Slow
• tachy-: Fast
• -ole: Small
• -ule: Small
• -tension: Pressure
• -sclerosis: Hardening

Cardiovascular System Terms

• Cardiology: Branch of medicine for diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease; physician is a cardiologist.
• Blood pressure: Measurement of force exerted by blood against vessel walls
  • Systolic blood pressure: Blood pressure during ventricle contraction
  • Diastolic blood pressure: Blood pressure during ventricle relaxation
• Angiospasm: Spasm or contraction of a blood vessel
• Angiostenosis: Narrowing of a blood vessel

Additional Cardiovascular Conditions

• Bradycardia: Slow heart rate
• Cardiomegaly: Enlarged heart
• Tachycardia: Fast heart rate
• Ventricular: Pertaining to ventricles
• Cyanosis: Slightly bluish color of skin due to oxygen deficiency
• Infarct: Area of tissue death following loss of blood supply
• Ischemia: Localized and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction
• Murmur: Abnormal heart sound (e.g., soft blowing, harsh click)
• Sphygmomanometer: Instrument for measuring blood pressure
• Stethoscope: Instrument for listening to body sounds

Diseases and Disorders of the Circulatory System

• Angina pectoris: Severe chest pain due to oxygen deprivation to heart muscle
• Aortic stenosis: Narrowing of the aorta
• Arrhythmia: Irregular heartbeat or action
• Arteriosclerosis: Thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity in artery walls (often due to atherosclerosis)
• Atherosclerosis: Formation of yellowish plaques of cholesterol on inner artery walls
• Cardiac arrest: Complete stopping of heart activity
• Cardiomyopathy: General term for a disease of the myocardium
• Congenital septal defect (CSD): Hole in the septum between heart chambers
• Congestive heart failure (CHF): Left ventricle muscle too weak to pump blood efficiently
• Coronary artery disease (CAD): Insufficient blood supply to heart muscle (often due to obstruction)
• Embolus: Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot that broke off from another location
• Endocarditis: Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
• Fibrillation: Extremely serious arrhythmia characterized by abnormal quivering of heart fibers
• Flutter: Arrhythmia characterized by rapid but regular atrial contractions
• Heart valve stenosis: Stiff heart valves unable to open fully, leading to blood flow problems
• Hypertension: Blood pressure above normal range
• Hypotension: Decreased blood pressure
• Myocardial infarction: Condition caused by partial or complete blockage of coronary arteries
• Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle
• Pericarditis: Inflammation of the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart)
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD): Any abnormal condition affecting blood vessels outside the heart
• Rheumatic heart disease: Valvular heart disease resulting from rheumatic fever
• Thrombophlebitis: Inflammation of a vein that leads to blood clot formation
• Thrombus: Blood clot formed within a blood vessel
• Varicose veins: Swollen and distended veins, usually in the legs

Pharmacology Relating to the Cardiovascular System

• Antiarrhythmic: Reduces or prevents cardiac arrhythmias
• Anticoagulant: Prevents blood clot formation
• Antihypertensive: Lowers blood pressure
• Cardiotonic: Increases the force of cardiac muscle contraction
• Diuretic: Increases urine production by the kidneys
• Thrombolytic: Dissolves existing blood clots
• Vasoconstrictor: Contracts smooth muscle in blood vessel walls
• Vasodilator: Relaxes smooth muscle in blood vessel walls