Heart and circulation

Conditions (18)

Angina Pectoris — Angina de pecho

Angina pectoris is chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.

Aortic Aneurysm — Aneurisma aórtico

An aortic aneurysm is an abnormal bulge in the wall of the aorta, the body's largest artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Arrhythmia — Arritmia

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm where the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly.

Atrial Fibrillation — Fibrilación auricular

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that begins in the upper chambers of the heart.

Cardiomyopathy — Cardiomiopatía

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle that make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.

Coronary Artery Disease — Enfermedad coronaria

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when fatty deposits called plaque build up inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Deep Vein Thrombosis — Trombosis venosa profunda

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg.

Endocarditis — Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart's chambers and valves, known as the endocardium.

Heart Attack — Infarto de miocardio

A heart attack, medically called a myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing that tissue to begin dying.

Heart Failure — Insuficiencia cardíaca

Heart failure means the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

Hyperlipidemia — Hiperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia means abnormally high levels of fats (lipids) in the blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

Hypertension — Hipertensión

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, means the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high.

Metabolic Syndrome — Síndrome metabólico

Metabolic syndrome is not a single disease but a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Pericarditis — Pericarditis

Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the thin, two-layered, fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart.

Peripheral Artery Disease — Enfermedad arterial periférica

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, most commonly the legs.

Stroke — Accidente cerebrovascular

A stroke happens when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, either by a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or a ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).

Valvular Heart Disease — Enfermedad valvular cardíaca

Valvular heart disease occurs when one or more of the four heart valves does not work properly.

Venous Insufficiency — Insuficiencia venosa

Venous insufficiency is a condition where the veins in the legs have difficulty sending blood back up to the heart.

Symptoms (10)

Ankle Swelling — Hinchazón de tobillos

Ankle swelling is the accumulation of fluid around the ankle joint, causing visible puffiness or tightness.

Bleeding Gums — Encías sangrantes

Bleeding gums refers to blood coming from the gum tissue, most commonly noticed when brushing or flossing.

Chest Pain — Dolor de pecho

Chest pain is any discomfort, pressure, tightness, squeezing, or aching feeling in the chest area.

Cyanosis — Cianosis

Cyanosis is a bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin, lips, or fingertips caused by low oxygen levels in the blood.

Heart Palpitations — Palpitaciones cardíacas

Heart palpitations are sensations that your heart is beating hard, fast, fluttering, or skipping a beat.

Irregular Heartbeat — Latido cardíaco irregular

An irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) means the heart is not beating in a steady, normal rhythm.

Leg Swelling — Hinchazón de piernas

Leg swelling (edema) is a buildup of fluid in the tissues of the lower legs.

Pale Skin — Palidez

Pale skin refers to an abnormal lightening of the skin, often noticed on the face, lips, gums, or inner eyelids.

Rapid Heartbeat — Latido cardíaco rápido

A rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) means your heart beats faster than 100 times per minute at rest.

Slow Heartbeat — Latido cardíaco lento

A slow heartbeat (bradycardia) means the heart beats fewer than 60 times per minute at rest.

Anatomy (10)

Aorta — Aorta

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, about the width of a garden hose.

Aortic Valve — Válvula aórtica

The aortic valve is a one-way gate between the heart's left ventricle — the main pumping chamber — and the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

Atrium — Aurícula

The heart has four chambers, and the atria are the two upper chambers — the right atrium and the left atrium.

Carotid Artery — Arteria carótida

The carotid arteries are the main blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain, neck, and face.

Coronary Arteries — Arterias coronarias

The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle itself with oxygen and nutrients.

Hepatic Artery — Arteria hepática

The hepatic artery is the blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the aorta — via the celiac artery — directly to the liver.

Mitral Valve — Válvula mitral

The mitral valve is a one-way door inside the heart that separates the left atrium — the upper left chamber — from the left ventricle — the lower left chamber.

Pericardium — Pericardio

The pericardium is a tough, double-layered sac made of fibrous tissue that surrounds and protects the heart.

Renal Artery — Arteria renal

The renal arteries are a pair of blood vessels — one for each kidney — that branch off the aorta and carry oxygen-rich blood to the kidneys.

Ventricle — Ventrículo

The ventricles are the two lower chambers of the heart — the heart's main pumping chambers.

Tests (8)

Angiogram — Angiografía

An angiogram is an imaging test that uses X-rays and a contrast dye injected through a thin tube called a catheter to visualize blood vessels and check for blockages or abnormalities.

Cardiac Catheterization — Cateterismo Cardíaco

Cardiac catheterization is an invasive procedure in which a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in your groin, wrist, or arm and guided to your heart.

Cardiac Monitoring — Monitoreo Cardíaco

Cardiac monitoring is the continuous or prolonged observation of your heart's electrical activity and rhythm.

Doppler Ultrasound — Ultrasonido Doppler

A Doppler ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to measure the speed and direction of blood flow through your blood vessels and heart.

Echocardiogram — Ecocardiograma

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that creates moving images of your heart's chambers, valves, walls, and blood flow.

EKG / ECG (Electrocardiogram) — Electrocardiograma (ECG/EKG)

An EKG or ECG measures the electrical activity of your heart and records it as a series of waves on paper or a screen.

Holter Monitor — Monitor Holter

A Holter monitor is a portable device that continuously records your heart's electrical activity for 24 to 48 hours — or sometimes up to 14 days — while you go about your daily routine.

Lipid Panel — Panel de lípidos

A lipid panel measures the levels of fats (lipids) in your blood to assess your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Medications (5)

ACE Inhibitor — Inhibidor de la ECA

ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) are medications that lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

Antifungal — Antifúngico

Antifungals are medicines used to treat infections caused by fungi.

Antihypertensive — Antihipertensivo

Antihypertensives are medications used to lower high blood pressure (hypertension).

Beta-Blocker — Betabloqueante

Beta-blockers are medications that slow the heart rate and reduce the force of heart contractions by blocking adrenaline effects.

Diuretic — Diurético

Diuretics, often called water pills, help the body remove excess salt and water through urine.

Procedures (5)

Angioplasty — Angioplastia

Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to open narrowed or blocked arteries, most commonly coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Cardiac Ablation — Ablación cardíaca

Cardiac ablation is a procedure used to correct heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias) by destroying small areas of heart tissue that cause irregular electrical signals.

Cardiac Rehabilitation — Rehabilitación cardíaca

Cardiac rehabilitation is a supervised medical program designed to help people recover after a heart attack, heart surgery, or diagnosis of heart failure.

Coronary Bypass Surgery — Cirugía de bypass coronario

Coronary bypass surgery, also called coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), reroutes blood flow around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood supply to the heart muscle.

Medication Management — Manejo de medicamentos

Medication management is a clinical service in which a physician, pharmacist, or advanced practice provider reviews all of a patient's current medications to ensure they are appropriate, effective, safe, and being used correctly.

Emergency care (4)

Blood Pressure Monitoring — Monitoreo de presión arterial

Blood pressure monitoring is the ongoing measurement of the force of blood pushing against artery walls, expressed as two numbers: systolic (top number, pressure during heartbeat) over diastolic (bottom number, pressure between beats).

Code Blue — Código azul

Code Blue is an emergency announcement used in US hospitals indicating that a patient is experiencing cardiac or respiratory arrest — meaning the heart has stopped or the patient is not breathing.

Defibrillation — Desfibrilación

Defibrillation is the delivery of a controlled electric shock to the heart to stop a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm such as ventricular fibrillation (chaotic, ineffective heartbeat) or ventricular tachycardia and allow the heart to return to a normal rhythm.

Recovery Room — Sala de recuperación

The recovery room, also called the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), is where patients are monitored closely after surgery or a procedure requiring anesthesia.

Mental health (1)

Crisis Intervention — Intervención en crisis

Crisis intervention is immediate, short-term support provided to people experiencing an acute mental health crisis — such as thoughts of suicide, a psychotic episode, or an overwhelming emotional emergency.

Clinical terms (1)

Emergency Medical Condition — Condición Médica de Emergencia

An emergency medical condition is an acute illness or injury severe enough that a reasonable person would believe that without immediate treatment, it could seriously jeopardize their health, impair bodily function, or cause serious dysfunction of any organ.

Guides that use these terms

• Emergency Number and Ambulance Use in Japan

Other areas of the glossary

• Lungs and breathing — Pulmones y respiración
• Digestive system — Sistema digestivo
• Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios
• Mental health — Salud mental
• Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo
• Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos
• Blood and immune system — Sangre y sistema inmunitario
• Hormones, diabetes and metabolism — Hormonas, diabetes y metabolismo
• Skin, hair and nails — Piel, cabello y uñas
• General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos