Abnormal heart rhythm is called a(n):

Abnormal heart rhythm is called a(n):

• A. Ischemia
• B. Aneurysm
• C. Arteriosclerosis
• D. Arrhythmia

Answer: (D)

An abnormal heart rhythm is described as an arrhythmia. The heart’s rhythm comes from its electrical conduction system, and an arrhythmia means the timing or pattern of the heartbeat is off compared with normal sinus rhythm. This can manifest as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly (fibrillation). The other terms refer to different problems: ischemia is about reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, not the rhythm; an aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel; arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arterial walls. None of those describe the irregular timing of heartbeats, which is what arrhythmia specifically denotes.

An abnormal heart rhythm is described as an arrhythmia. The heart’s rhythm comes from its electrical conduction system, and an arrhythmia means the timing or pattern of the heartbeat is off compared with normal sinus rhythm. This can manifest as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly (fibrillation).

The other terms refer to different problems: ischemia is about reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, not the rhythm; an aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel; arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arterial walls. None of those describe the irregular timing of heartbeats, which is what arrhythmia specifically denotes.