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aldosterone
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a hormone made in the adrenal cortex that helps to control the balance of water and salts in the kidneys, retaining sodium and releasing potassium from the body
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angina
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chest discomfort in the front of the chest, neck, shoulders, jaw, or arms that is precipitated by physical exertions and relieved by rest or sublingual nitrates
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angiotensin I
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a protein in blood that promotes aldosterone secretion and raises blood pressure
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angiotensin II
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a protein in the blood that causes the muscular walls of the arterioles to constrict and narrow, thereby increasing blood pressure
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angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)
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a classification of drug that binds to and inhibits angiotensin II type I receptors
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angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
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a classification of drug that blocks the body’s production of angiotensin II; the protein that causes vasoconstriction and inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine, which stimulates catecholamine release
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antianginal drugs
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drugs used in the treatment of angina
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antihypertensive drugs
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drugs used in the treatment of hypertension
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beta-adrenergic blocker
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a classification of drug that inhibits chronotropic, inotropic, and vasoconstrictor response to catecholamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine by exerting effects on adrenergic receptors beta 1, beta 2, and alpha.
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calcium channel blocker
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a classification of drug that blocks calcium from entering cells by binding to long-acting voltage-gated calcium channels in the heart, smooth muscle, and pancreas
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cardiac output
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the product of the heart rate and stroke volume; the volume of blood pumped by the heart per unit of time, usually measured in liters per minute
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diastolic blood pressure
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indicates how much pressure the blood is exerting against artery walls while the heart is resting between beats; the second number of a blood pressure reading
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diuretic
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a classification of drug that induces sodium loss and increases urine flow; typically used to treat hypertension, heart failure, and volume overload states
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heart rate
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the number of times each minute the heart beats
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hypertension
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when an individual’s blood pressure is above the normal limits for a sustained period of time
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hypotension
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when an individual’s blood pressure is below the normal limits for a sustained period of time
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nitrate
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a classification of drug that causes vasodilation of blood vessels by imparting nitric oxide, which relaxes smooth muscles
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peripheral vascular resistance
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determined by blood flow in the body and the level of constriction or dilatation within the vessels
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renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)
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a compensatory mechanism the body activates during hypotension (when the blood pressure is low)
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stroke volume
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the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction
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systolic blood pressure
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indicates how much pressure the blood is exerting against the artery walls when the heart beats; the first number of a blood pressure reading
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vasopressin
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an antidiuretic hormone that regulates blood pressure, blood osmolality, and blood volume