| A | B |
|---|
| chronic disease | diseases that persist for a long period or recur throughout life |
| cardiovascular disease | diseases of the heart and blood vessels |
| angina pectoris | the chest pain that occurs when an area of the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood |
| heart attack | occurs when some of the tissue in the heart doesn't receive its normal blood supply and dies |
| fibrillation | life-threatening arrhythmia in which the heart twitches rapidly in an uncoordinated fashion |
| stroke | sudden disruption of blood flow to part of the brain |
| cerebral hemorrhage | type of stroke caused by a burst artery in the cerebrum (the main portion of the brain) |
| aneurysm | blood-filled weak spot that balloons out from teh artery wall |
| cancer | group of diseases that involves the rapid, uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells |
| tumor | a mass of tissue caysed by cancer cells |
| malignant | cancerous tumor |
| metastasis | the spread of cancer from where it first develops to other parts of the body |
| oncogene | a normal gene that has changed into a cancer-causing gene |
| carcinogen | cancer-causing agents in the environment |
| biopsy | procedure in which surgeons remove a small piece of tissue to examine it for signs of cancer |
| diabetes | disease in which the body's ability to use glucose is impaired |
| insulin | a hormone produced by the pancreas; stimulates body cells to take up and use blood sugar |
| allergy | disorder in which the immune system is overly sensitive to a particular substance not normally found in the body |
| allergen | any substance that causes an allergy |
| histamine | chemical that is released in response to an allergen; responsible for symptoms of allergy |
| arthritis | inflammation of irritation of a joint |
| osteoarthritis | most common type of arthritis; caused by wear and tear on a joint after years of use of by repeated injurie to a joint |
| rheumatoid arthritis | the membrane surrounding a joint becomes inflammed |
| disability | any physical or mental impairment that limits or reduced normal activities |
| macular degeneration | a condition affecting the retina; leading cause of vision loss in older Americans |
| tinnitus | condition in which ringin is heard in the ears, even when there is no external sound |
| American with Disabilities Act | an important move toward integrating people with disabilities into the workplace and community; guarantees the civil rights of Americans who have physical or mental disabilities |
