Earthing: See Grounding.

Echinacea: An herb with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, echinacea is also an immune and lymphatic regulator.

Ectopic beats: Characterize a heart beat which originates from outside the normal conduction system.

Eicosanoids: Hormone-like substances resulting from an overabundance of omega-3 fatty acids and arachidonic acid. Eicosanoids are classified into prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Eicosanoids can be either “good” or “bad,” and they can help influence blood pressure, blood clotting, and allergic responses, as well as the body’s response to infection.

Ejection fraction: Percentage of blood ejected from the left ventricle with each heart beat; normal range is 50 to 70 percent.

Electroceuticals: Non-invasive devices which transmit therapeutic forms of electromagnetic radiation throughout bodily tissue via heat, electricity, sound waves and magnetism. Electroceuticals are designed to enhance the body’s natural capacity to heal by optimizing cellular energy metabolism.

Electrons: Subatomic particles with negative electric charge that surround the nucleus within an atom. Positively charged protons and neutrons without any charge comprise the nucleus.

EMF (electromagnetic field): A fundamental force that is the interaction between electrical and magnetic energy fields created by electrically charged particles. EMFs influence the behavior of other charged objects within their vicinity. Within the context of wireless technology, "EMF" may describe radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic and/or power-line frequency fields.

Endothelium: Inner lining of the arteries; the smooth surface against which the blood flows. The endothelium is only one cell layer thick, a veneer so thin that it can be seen only under a microscope, but its cells exert a powerful influence on the functioning of the arteries. In response to stresses and chemicals produced by the body, the endothelium releases several substances called factors which cause the smooth muscle walls of the artery, just beneath the endothelial surface, to relax so the vessel can dilate and blood flow can increase.

Endotoxin: A toxin stored in cell walls of bacteria that is released when the bacteria die.

Enzymes: Proteins that cause certain biochemical reactions to occur, and are therefore biochemical catalysts. Enzymes are absolutely necessary for normal function of cellular metabolism, and are very specific in their function. Names of enzymes all end in “ase.”

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid): Another member of the omega-3 essential fatty acid family, EPA helps prevent blood clotting and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. EPA also helps to decrease blood cholesterol and triglycerides.  

Epinephrine (adrenaline): Secreted by the adrenal medulla, epinephrine is a catecholamine hormone released in response to stress, hypoglycemia, and other factors. As part of the "fight or flight response," epinephrine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. 

Erectile dysfunction (ED): Describes the consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual performance. Physical causes of ED include conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, as well as medication side effects and hormonal insufficiencies. Psychological or relational problems may underlie some cases of ED. 

Essential fatty acids (EFAs): These are fatty acids that the body cannot synthesize but are required for normal metabolism and homeostasis. EFAs include linoleic and linolenic acids. Linolenic acid is broken down in the body into small amounts of other EFAs. i.e. DHA/EPA. Deficiency of EFAs can cause skin or hair problems. Plaque rupture and coronary thrombosis or heart attack have also been associated with EFA deficiency.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT): A form of hormone-replacement therapy used to alleviate symptoms of menopause through the administration of bio-identical estrogen.

Exercise echo: A noninvasive test to evaluate the possibility of coronary heart disease. An exercise stress test in which an echocardiogram is taken before (baseline), during and after exertion.

Fats: Compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms that serve as stored fuel for the body. Fats may become solid or remain liquid at room temperature depending on their composition and structure. Dietary fats are sources of essential fatty acids (EFAs).

Fibrinogen: An inflammatory clot-promoting substance in the blood, Higher fibrinogen levels are associated with coronary artery disease.

Fibromyalgia: A chronic, non-articular rheumatoid disease causing chronic fatigue and continuous, frequently severe muscle pain in all four quadrants of the body. Patients become almost totally debilitated and bedridden. There is no known cure for fibromyalgia and the cause is not fully known. Because patients become so debilitated, depression is a common outcome. 

Flavonoids (bioflavonoids): Phytochemicals (plant-based chemicals) found in nature with strong antioxidant properties. There are over 4,000 flavonoids in nature possessing potent anti-inflammatory capabilities.

Flaxseed oil: The primary source of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid) that helps to regulate many metabolic functions in the body, especially inflammatory responses.

Folic acid: This vitamin helps to maintain the nervous system, intestinal tract, sex organs, white blood cells, and normal patterns of growth in addition to promoting normal growth and development. It regulates embryonic and fetal development of nerve cells, and also helps to promote red blood cell formation.

Free radicals: Unstable molecules that are highly activated and highly charged, which interact with body tissues causing inflammation and aging. Free radicals are also produced by the body in response to inflammation as well as in the mitochondrial respiratory chain.

Glucagon: Pancreatic hormone which causes release of stored carbohydrates in the liver to restore blood glucose levels.

Glucose: The simplest form of sugar (6-carbon) that circulates in the bloodstream and is used as fuel by cells. Glucose is the primary fuel used by the brain and is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen.

Glucosamine sulfate: Glucosamine helps maintain joint function and stimulate joint repair. It is a component of many tissues and structures of the body, including the bones, cartilage, eyes, heart, ligaments, nails, skin, and tendons. 

Glutathione: A powerful anti-carcinogenic antioxidant that helps detoxify the body as well as recycle other antioxidants.The body synthesizes glutathione from three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. Glutathione is the only network antioxidant most experts do not recommend supplementing with, due to the fact that it is broken down and no one knows how much glutathione passes through the intestinal wall into cells; however, one can boost glutathione production in the body by consuming alpha lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and sulfur-containing foods.

Glycemic index: The measure of the rate at which a carbohydrate will enter the bloodstream as glucose. The faster a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream, the higher its glycemic index. The higher the glycemic index of a carbohydrate, the greater the increase of insulin levels during digestion and potential for inflammation. Fruits and vegetables tend to have a relatively low-glycemic index, whereas breads, pastas, refined grains, and starches tend to have a high-glycemic index.

Glycemic load: The measure of the density and digestion speed of carbohydrates (the glycemic index of a food multiplied by the amount of carbohydrates per serving). A higher glycemic load indicates that a food is more carbohydrate-dense; pasta has a high glycemic load, while carrots do not, though they both respectively have higher glycemic indexes.

Glycogen: A chain of glucose molecules stored in the liver for future energy use.

Grounding (Earthing): The act of absorbing electrons, either directly through skin contact with the earth's surface or indirectly through the use of a specialized connective device. Grounding is an electroceutical therapy which utilizes the earth's electromagnetic energy to promote healing.

Hawthorne: An herb used to treat heart disease, as well as digestive and kidney problems.

HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol: Known as the "good" cholesterol, HDL is a circulating lipoprotein that transports excess LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream back to the liver to prevent buildup of potentially harmful LDL cholesterol in arterial walls.  

Heart attack (myocardial infarction): A condition caused when the blockage of one or more coronary arteries becomes so severe that oxygenated blood cannot reach the affected heart tissue. This causes tissue to drain all its energy reserves and place it in immediate peril of cell and tissue death. Formerly known as coronary thrombosis. Arterial blockage may result from plaque formation along the arterial wall or from plaque rupture that may lodge in the artery blocking blood flow.

Heart disease: See Cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Heart rate variability (HRV): An assessment of the balance or imbalance of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) branches; by measuring beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate, one can determine whether the SNS is in “overdrive” and therefore the health of the cardiovascular system. Chronic stress can cause long-term physiological arousal, or SNS overactivity, which results in a heightened risk for hypertension, arrhythmias, and even sudden death.   

Hesperedin: A type of bioflavonoid that supports the immune system.

High-glycemic: Foods that are high-glycemic are broken down rapidly into glucose and enter the bloodstream more quickly than low-glycemic foods.

Homocysteine: A dangerous amino acid that promotes free radical oxidation and premature vascular disease. Higher homocysteine levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Hormones: Biological compounds that communicate information throughout the body; A substance, usually a peptide or steroid, produced by one tissue and sent through the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth or metabolism.  

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Supplementation with bio-identical hormones to replace natural hormones that have become deficient due to age or illness. Estrogen replacement therapy is a common HRT used to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause. Bio-identical hormones are those that have been modified in the laboratory to match the molecular structure of those found in the human body.

Hydrogenated fats: Considered most unhealthy, these fats have an added hydrogen atom to make them solid at room temperature and increase the shelf life of processed foods and commercially baked goods containing them.

Hypertension: High blood pressure.

Hypothalamus: A walnut-sized gland in the brain responsible for regulating body temperature, water balance, sugar and fat metabolism, and the release of hormones for other glands in the body.

© 2010 Heart MD Institute, PA