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Glossary
H
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| hand-held Doppler test |
see “continuous wave Doppler” |
| heart biopsy |
a test in which small tissue samples are removed from your heart and analyzed under a microscope for signs of damage; may be used to check for the cause of heart muscle disease after you have been diagnosed with heart failure but the standard tests have failed to find the cause; also called an endomyocardial biopsy |
| Heart block |
A delayed or complete lack of electrical communication between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. |
| Heart failure |
A condition that results from the inability of the heart to fill with or pump out enough blood to meet the body's needs; also known as congestive heart failure, chronic heart failure |
| Heart murmur |
The abnormal sound brought on by turbulent blood flow as a result of a defective heart valve or certain forms of congenital heart disease. Some heart murmurs are harmless. |
| Heart rate |
The number of times the heart beats per minute. The average resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. |
| heart transplant |
the complete replacement of a person's heart with the heart of a deceased donor; the last treatment option for women and men with advanced heart failure that has not responded to other treatments |
| Helicobacter pylori |
A bacterium that causes stomach ulcers. It has also been associated with heart disease. |
| Hematocrit |
A measure of the number and size of red blood cells in a test tube of blood. It is used to test for anemia |
| Hematoma |
A swelling in an organ or tissue containing blood. It can be caused by a tear or break in the wall of a blood vessel. |
| Heme iron |
Iron from animal sources (e.g., red meat), |
| Hemiparesis |
Weakness or partial paralysis on one side of the body; often caused by a stroke |
| Hemiplegia |
Paralysis on one side of the body; often caused by a stroke |
| Hemochromatosis |
A genetic condition causing the body to absorb too much iron. |
| Hemoglobin |
The red pigment in the blood that carries oxygen. |
