24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING (ABPM) Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a non-invasive technique by which multiple indirect blood pressure readings can be obtained automatically over 24 hours with minimal intrusion into the daily activities of the patient. This type of measurement provides accurate blood pressure readings over a prolonged period. Blood pressure fluctuates considerably from moment to moment; a 24-hour reading is therefore more representative than single readings.
ANEURYSM Localized, pathological, blood-filled dilatations of a blood vessel caused by a disease or weakening of the blood vessel wall.
ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME (ACE) INHIBITOR
A class of drug that blocks the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II – angiotensin II contributes to high blood pressure via blood vessel constriction, which restricts blood flow.
ANGIOTENSIN-II RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS (AIIAs) A class of drugs that block the actions of the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II by competing for angiotensin II binding sites on the blood vessel wall, thereby lowering blood pressure.
ANTIHYPERTENSIVE Any drug or other therapy used to treat high blood pressure.
ANTITHROMBOTIC A class of drug used to prevent the formation of a thrombus (blood clot) within a blood vessel.
ASPIRIN A widely used analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory agent; also used as an antiplatelet agent.
ATHEROSCLEROSIS A hardening of the walls of arteries caused by a build-up of fatty deposits on the blood vessel wall, which interfere with normal blood flow.
ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES
Areas of fatty deposits that form on the inside lining of an artery, which can partially or totally block the flow of blood through the artery.
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION A heart disorder in which the upper left chamber of the heart (the atrium) beats out of rhythm.
BETA-BLOCKERS
A class of blood pressure medications that reduce the heart rate and power of its pumping action and widen the blood vessels.
CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKER A class of drug that lowers blood pressure by blocking the entry of calcium into muscle cells of arterioles (small blood vessels), preventing them from contracting.
CARDIOVASCULAR EVENT A clinical complication relating to the heart and blood vessels (the circulatory system).
CAROTID ARTERIES Major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
CEREBROVASCULAR EVENT A clinical complication relating to the blood vessels or blood supply of the brain.
DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP) The lowest blood pressure measured in the arteries, occurring when the heart muscle is relaxed between beats.
DIURETIC
A medication that lowers blood pressure through excess fluid excretion via the urine.
ELECTRICAL CARDIOVERSION
In this procedure, patients are placed on a heart monitor and a small electrical charge is delivered over the heart. This electrical charge ‘resets’ the normal rhythm of the heart, stopping atrial fibrillation.
EMBOLI
Occlusion of a blood vessel caused by a mass composed of a detached thrombus, bacteria, or other foreign body.
HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE Stroke caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain.
HYPERTENSION High blood pressure, defined as systolic/diastolic 140/90 mm Hg or above.
HYPERLIPIDAEMIA The presence of an abnormally large amount of lipids (fats) in the circulating blood.
INFARCT An area of tissue that is dead or dying because of a loss of blood supply.
INTRACEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE Stroke caused by a ruptured blood vessel that causes bleeding in the brain tissue.
ISCHAEMIC STROKE
The most common kind of stroke; caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain (e.g. a clot blocking a blood vessel).
LDL CHOLESTEROL
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is one part of the total cholesterol within the blood. This type of cholesterol forms fatty deposits on the inside lining of an artery.
PLACEBO An inactive substance or dummy treatment (often called a ‘sugar pill’) administered to a control group of patients in a clinical trial to compare its effects with a real substance, drug or treatment.
PLATELETS Small molecules in the blood that help with clotting.
PRACTICE CONDITIONS Examinations/measurements that take place in a doctor’s surgery.
RANDOMIZED TRIAL A trial in which patients are randomly assigned to receive one of a number of active drug treatments or placebo.
RENIN–ANGIOTENSIN–ALDOSTERONE SYSTEM (RAAS) A system within the body that is associated with the control of blood pressure. Blockade of this system by drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers has been recognized as a successful way of lowering blood pressure.
RISK FACTORS Inherited or inborn characteristics, environmental exposure or aspects of personal behaviour that affect the probability of the risk of an individual developing or progressing with a disease.
STATINS A class of drug that reduce levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP) The peak blood pressure occurring when the heart pumps blood into the arteries; it is thus the higher of the two numbers used to describe blood pressure.
SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE
Bleeding from a blood vessel on the surface of the brain into the space between the brain and the skull.
TRANSIENT ISCHAEMIC ATTACK Sudden onset of brain dysfunction (e.g. paralysis, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, visual disturbance), which recovers completely within 24 hours. Usually an indication of underlying vascular disease.
THROMBI Blood clots comprising a coagulated mass of blood cells that forms when blood vessels are injured.
THROMOTIC INFARCT An obstruction of blood flow caused by the formation of a blood clot in an artery that supplies the brain.
