| Term |
Definition |
| Amaurosis fugax |
Transient monocular visual loss associated with vascular thromboembolic events arising from the internal carotid arterial system |
| Anticoagulants |
Drugs that suppress, delay, or prevent blood clots |
| Antiplatelet agents |
Drugs which prevent blood clots by inhibiting platelet function |
| Atherosclerosis |
A disease characterised by a build‐up of abnormal fat, cholesterol and platelet deposits on the inner wall of the arteries |
| Atheromatous plaques |
A fatty deposit in the inner lining (intima) of an artery, resulting from atherosclerosis |
| Atherosclerotic debris |
Pieces of atheromatous plaque that can break off and be carried by the bloodstream |
| Body mass index (BMI) |
Body mass divided by the square of the body height, universally expressed in units of kg/m2
|
| Computed tomography angiography (CTA) |
Computed tomography scanning that uses an injection of contrast material into the blood vessels to help diagnose and evaluate blood vessel disease or related conditions |
| Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) |
Fluoroscopy technique used in interventional radiology to clearly visualise blood vessels in a bony or dense soft tissue environment |
| Direct thrombin inhibitors |
A drug that acts as an anticoagulant by directly inhibiting the enzyme thrombin (factor IIa) |
| Duplex ultrasound |
Non‐invasive evaluation of blood flow through the arteries and veins by ultrasound devices |
| Dyslipidaemia |
Abnormal concentration of fats (lipids or lipoproteins) in the blood |
| Embolism |
Obstruction of an artery or vein, typically by a clot of blood or an air bubble |
| Fator Xa inhibitors |
A type of anticoagulant that works by selectively and reversibly blocking the activity of clotting factor Xa, preventing clot formation |
| Heparin |
A drug which is used to prevent blood clotting (anticoagulant, blood thinner) |
| Ipsilateral encephalic territories |
The same side of the brain |
| Low molecular weight heparin |
A drug which is used to prevent blood clotting (anticoagulant) |
| Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) |
A group of techniques based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to image blood vessels |
| Obesity |
A condition where the amount of body fat is beyond healthy conditions (BMI greater than 30 kg/m2) |
| Oedema |
Excess watery fluid which collects in tissues of the body, causing swelling when fluid leaks out of the body's vessels |
| Overweight |
Where body fat is over that of the average population, but less than unhealthy conditions (BMI between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2) |
| Placebo |
Substance or treatment with no active effect, like a sugar pill |
| Randomised controlled trial (RCT) |
A study in which the participants are divided randomly into separate groups to compare different treatments |
| Stroke |
Neurological deficit attributed to an acute focal injury of the central nervous system by a vascular cause, persisting ≥ 24 hours or until death |
| Thrombosis |
Local coagulation of blood (clot) in a part of the circulatory system |
| Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) |
A transient episode (less than 24 hours) of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischaemia without acute infarction |
| Unfractionated heparin (UFH) |
A mixture of heparins obtained from animals which is used to prevent blood coagulation. Used to prevent and treat clotting disorders |
| Vascular |
Relating to blood vessels (arteries and veins) |
| Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) |
Substances that reduce blood clotting by reducing the action of vitamin K |
