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Glossary
All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bile acid resins, or bile acid sequestrants |
Drugs used mainly to lower LDL cholesterol. They also modestly increase HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels e.g., Welchol, Colestid. |
| bioptome |
a special catheter used to perform a heart biopsy |
| Biventricular |
Of or relating to both ventricles. |
| biventricular pacemaker |
a special type of pacemaker used to provide Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT); this pacemaker has wires that go to both main pumping chambers of the heart, instead of just one |
| blood clotting tests |
routine blood tests that measure how quickly your blood forms clots; blood that clots too quickly may mean that a blood clot in your arteries or veins is causing your symptoms; blood that clots too slowly may be a sign of bleeding problems |
| Blood pressure |
The amount of force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries produced by the heart's contractions and dependent on the elasticity of the arterial walls and the volume of blood. When blood pressure is measured, the bottom number is the diastolic pressure and the top number is the systolic pressure. See also Diastole and Systole. |
| Blood thinners |
"see anticoagulants" |
| blood urea nitrogen (BUN) |
a routine blood test that shows how well your kidneys are working |
| Body mass index (BMI) |
Your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters. Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.45 to get kilograms; convert your height to inches and multiply by 0.0254 to get meters. BMI is a measurement used to determine obesity, which is 25% above the ideal body weight. |
| brachial artery |
an artery that runs down the inside of your upper arm; blood pressure in this artery is measured as part of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) test |
| Brachytherapy/vascular brachytherapy |
Radiation treatment for in-stent restenosis. A catheter delivers radiation that zaps the scar tissue and clears the artery. |
| Bradycardia |
Abnormally slow heartbeat, one of the two main types of arrhythmias, or disorders of heart rhythm. |
| Brain bypass |
A surgical procedure that reroutes blood around a blocked vessel in the brain to restore blood flow |
| Bruit |
a “whooshing” noise, heard by your doctor using a stethoscope, which may be caused by abnormal blood flow in an artery narrowed by artery disease |
| Buerger's disease |
A rare rheumatologic condition in which blood vessels in both the arms and legs become inflamed, resulting in a narrowing of the arteries in these limbs that can lead to gangrene. |
