| ACC |
An association of cardiologists. |
American College of Cardiology |
| AED |
Device that detects life-threatening arrhythmias and delivers a shock while waiting for the emergency medical team. Usually mounted on a wall. |
Automated External Defibrillator |
| AFIB |
An arrhythmia (Sometimes AF). |
Atrial Fibrillation |
| AHA |
An association supporting research and treatment for heart diseases. |
American Heart Association |
| Aflutter |
An arrhythmia. |
Atrial Flutter |
| ASA |
Used to reduce septal thickness, not an ablation for AFIB. |
Alcohol Septal Ablation |
| AV |
A valve in the heart. |
Aortic Valve |
| BP |
Systolic (squeeze) over diastolic (relax). |
Blood Pressure |
| CAD |
Blocked/partly blocked coronary arteries. |
Coronary Artery Disease |
| COE |
HCM specialty center certified by the HCMA |
Center of Excellence |
| CPET |
An evaluation of the cardio-pulmonary system during the stress of exercise. |
CardioPulmonary Exercise Test |
| CPR |
Emergency chest compressions to help a person in cardiac arrest until an AED or medical team can restore heart function. |
CardioPulmonary Resuscitation |
| CRT |
A pacemaker is used to coordinate the heart's rhythm. |
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy |
| CT |
A medical scan, also called a CAT scan. |
Computerized Tomography |
| DCM |
The heart muscle becomes weakened and enlarged. |
Dilated Cardiomyopathy |
| DOAC |
Newer drugs that prevent blood clots |
Direct Oral AntiCoagulants |
| DVT |
A blood clot, usually in your leg. |
Deep Vein Thrombosis |
| ECG/EKG |
A snapshot of your heart's rhythm. |
Electrocardiogram |
| Echo |
Uses sound waves to measure dimensions of your heart and give moving images of the heart walls and valves. Doppler echo shows blood flow. |
Echocardiogram |
| EF |
The percent of blood inside the left ventricle that exits when the heart pumps. (Sometimes LVEF - left ventricular ejection fraction) |
Ejection Fraction |
| EP |
Specialty care for heart electrical issues such as arrhythmias. |
Electrophysiology or Electrophysiologist |
| GDMT |
The optimal course of treatment for patients in each stage of heart failure. Established by ACC and AHA. |
Guideline-Directed Management and Therapy |
| HCM |
Disease of the heart muscle that often involves thickening of the muscle, electrical problems, and problems with the mitral valve. |
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
| HCMA |
An association serving the HCM community. |
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association |
| HF |
The amount of blood coming out of the heart is not enough for the body's needs - either because the heart can't pump well enough or it can't fill well enough. Not a heart attack! CHF - Congestive Heart Failure. |
Heart Failure |
| HOCM |
HCM with an obstruction of the outflow tract. Blood is harder to pump out of the heart. |
Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy |
| HR |
How fast your heart is beating. |
Heart Rate |
| ICD |
An implanted device that can shock your heart into a normal rhythm if you are in a dangerous rhythm. SICD is the Subcutaneous version. |
Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator |
| ILR |
A paperclip-sized device that is implanted under the skin of the left chest that can record and transmit samples of abnormal heart rhythms for up to three years. |
Implantable Loop Recorder |
| IVS |
Muscular wall separating the left and right ventricles of the heart. |
Intraventricular Septum |
| LA |
One of 4 chambers of the heart. |
Left Atrium |
| LAMP2 |
Mutation of this gene is involved in Danon disease. |
Lysosome-Associated Membrane Protein-2 |
| LBBB |
A type of heart block common after myectomy surgery. |
Left Bundle Branch Block |
| LGE |
Contrast used during MRI to better show scarring in the heart. |
Late Gadolinium Enhancement |
| LV |
One of 4 chambers of the heart. |
Left Ventricle |
| LVAD |
May be used while waiting for a transplant. |
Left Ventricular Assist Device |
| LVH |
Thickening of the muscle in the left ventricle. |
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy |
| LVOT |
Where blood exits the heart and where those with HCM may have obstruction - LVOTO. |
Left Ventricular Outflow Tract |
| MET |
The amount of oxygen used to do a task compared to the amount used while sitting at rest. |
Metabolic Equivalent of Task |
| MI |
Another way of saying heart attack. |
Myocardial Infarction |
| MR |
Some blood flows the wrong way through the mitral valve. |
Mitral Regurgitation |
| MRI |
A medical scan that uses magnets to create a 3D image. |
Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| MVP |
The two flaps of the mitral valve don't close evenly, but bulge up into the left atrium. |
Mitral Valve Prolapse |
| NSVT |
An arrhythmia. |
Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia |
| NYHA |
Organization that classified stages of heart failure. |
New York Heart Association |
| PAC |
An arrhythmia. |
Premature Atrial Contraction |
| PVC |
An arrhythmia. |
Premature Ventricular Contraction |
| PVI |
A type of ablation used to treat afib. |
Pulmonary Vein Isolation |
| RA |
One of 4 chambers of the heart. |
Right Atrium |
| RBBB |
A type of heart block common after ASA. |
Right Bundle Branch Block |
| RCT |
A research design that randomly assigns participants to an experimental group or control group - the main difference between groups is the thing being studied (for example, a medicine). |
Randomized Controlled Trial |
| RV |
One of 4 chambers of the heart. |
Right Ventricle |
| SAM |
Movement of the mitral valve towards the LVOT. Can cause obstruction of the outflow tract. |
Systolic Anterior Motion |
| SCA |
The heart stops due to an electrical problem: not a heart attack. |
Sudden Cardiac Arrest |
| SCD |
If a person with SCA isn't treated quickly, they die. |
Sudden Cardiac Death |
| SOB |
It feels hard to catch your breath - dyspnea. |
Shortness of Breath |
| SRT |
Myectomy surgery, alcohol septal ablation. |
Septal Reduction Therapy |
| SVT |
A group of arrhythmias. |
Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia |
| TEE |
Echocardiogram done with a tube down the throat. |
Trans-Esophogeal Echo |
| TTE |
Echocardiogram done from outside the chest, the common type. |
Trans-Thoracic Echo |
| VFIB |
An arrhythmia (sometimes VF) that often leads to sudden cardiac arrest. |
Ventricular Fibrillation |
| VO2 Max |
An exercise test with a mask to measure the highest amount of oxygen used during movement. |
Volume of Oxygen Max |
| VT |
An arrhythmia. |
Ventricular Tachycardia |
| VUS |
A grey area in genetics where the identified gene mutation might or might not contribute to HCM. |
Variant of Unknown Significance |
| WPW |
A congenital heart abnormality that can cause tachycardia and sometimes mimics HCM. |
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome |
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