Arteries - carry blood to different parts of the body

Atherosclerosis - is a possible result of the increased pressure on the inner walls of blood vessels. Over time, vessels become less flexible and more vulnerable to build-up of fatty deposits (cholesterol)

Bacterial endocarditis - a bacterial infection of the valves and interior surfaces of the heart

Cardio metabolic syndrome - is a cluster of controllable risk factors that predisposes individuals to cardiovascular and metabolic disease (type 2 diabetes)

Carotid arteries - arteries in the neck

Cholesterol - build-up of fatty-deposits found throughout the body’s tissues and cell membranes. It is also converted by the body into hormones. Cholesterol is derived from two sources; our own bodies (chiefly produced in the liver) and in food, including meat, chicken, seafood, eggs and other dairy products

Deep vein thrombosis (D.V.T.) - is a condition that specifically affects your veins

Diabetes - is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin

Diastolic - pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest

Endorphins - hormones that promote a sense of well-being and pleasure

Gestational diabetes - results from changes a woman’s body undergoes while pregnant. A small portion of women who develop gestational diabetes are found to have diabetes after they deliver the baby, usually type 2

HDL - is protective and helpful to the body. It removes excess cholesterol from your arteries and returns it to the liver to be processed

Hypertension - high blood pressure

Insulin - is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy

LDL - is harmful because it accumulates on arterial walls and interacts with other substances in the blood to form plaque

Lipid panel - Cholesterol is measured with four numbers: total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), and triglycerides

Peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) - is the narrowing and hardening of arteries in the legs because of plaque (fatty deposits) build-up

Pre-diabetic - blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetic

Pulmonary embolism - when a clot breaks off and travels through the veins to a lung

Stroke - type of cardiovascular disease that occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts

Systolic - maximum pressure exerted when the heart contracts

Triglycerides - fat molecules that are enclosed with cholesterol during transport in the bloodstream

Type 1 diabetes - results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them

Type 2 diabetes - results from the body’s inability to produce insulin, or the cells ignore the insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and is likely to develop because of controllable risk factors

Veins - blood vessels that bring blood to the heart from all other parts of your body