Cardiovascular Terms to Know

• Heart failure. A condition in which the heart can’t pump blood effectively. Also called congestive heart failure.

• Systolic heart failure. A type of heart failure in which the heart doesn’t beat forcefully enough to pump enough blood into circulation. Also called systolic dysfunction.

• Diastolic heart failure. A type of heart failure in which the heart’s walls are stiff and don’t relax after every beat, so the heart can’t fill with enough blood to pump into circulation. Also called diastolic dysfunction.

• Dyspnea. The medical term for shortness of breath or breathing difficulty. People with dyspnea may feel breathless or feel as though they can’t catch their breath. Dyspnea is a symptom of heart failure and other conditions.

• Edema. Swelling of body tissues from the buildup of fluid. People with heart failure may get edema of the feet and ankles.