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Glossary
S
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Subclavian vein |
The large vein under the collarbone. |
| Sublingual |
Under the tongue. |
| Sudden cardiac death (SCD) |
When the heart abruptly stops beating, often brought on by a heart rhythm problem. |
| Super aspirin Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors |
Antiplatelet medications that reduce the bloods ability to clot; called super aspirins because they work in a similar way to aspirin, but have a much stronger effect. |
| Superior vena cava |
The large vein that returns blood from the head and arms to the heart. |
| Supraventricular |
Meaning above the ventricles. A descriptor for heart rhythm disturbances that affect the upper chambers of the heart. |
| surgical aneurysm repair |
a surgical procedure in which the diseased part of the aorta is removed and replaced with an artificial graft; the standard treatment to prevent aortic aneurysms from bursting |
| Surgical clipping |
Procedure that uses a metal clip to block off an aneurysm that has caused a bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke |
| Sympathetic nervous system |
The section of the autonomic nervous system that controls heart rate, size of blood vessels, and many other functions of the body. |
| Syncope |
The medical term for fainting, a symptom of heart failure. |
| Syndrome X |
A type of chest pain that occurs in people who do not have significant blockages in their coronary arteries. Not to be confused with metabolic syndrome which used to be called metabolic syndrome X. |
| Systemic circulation |
The part of your circulatory system that supplies blood to all parts of your body except the lungs. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to your body through blood vessels called arteries. Once your organs and tissues use the oxygen, blood flows back to your heart through the veins. |
| Systole |
The period in the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts, pumping blood out of the heart. Systolic blood pressure is the top number given in a blood pressure reading. |
| systolic heart failure |
a form of heart failure in which the heart's lower chambers (ventricles) have become too weak to contract and pump out enough blood to meet the body's need; this type of heart failure is more common in men than in women |
