LHC
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Large Hadron Collider |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Medical |
LHC has two meanings. It stands for Large Hadron Collider (physics) or Left heart catheterization (cardiology).
Meanings of LHC at a glance
| # | LHC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large Hadron Collider | Science & Engineering › Physics |
| 2 | Left heart catheterization | Medical › Cardiology |
1. Large Hadron Collider
Science & Engineering · Physics Abbreviations
World's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, a 27-kilometer ring buried about 100 meters beneath the French-Swiss border near Geneva. It smashes protons or heavy ions together at nearly the speed of light, and its ATLAS and CMS experiments discovered the Higgs boson in 2012.
Example: The LHC restarted in 2022 for Run 3, colliding protons at a record 13.6 TeV.
First beams circulated on September 10, 2008, but a faulty magnet connection caused a helium leak nine days later, delaying physics until 2010. More than 1,200 superconducting dipole magnets are cooled to 1.9 kelvins, colder than outer space. A High-Luminosity LHC upgrade is planned to raise the collision rate.
2. Left heart catheterization
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Invasive procedure in which a catheter is passed from the radial or femoral artery to the left side of the heart and coronary arteries, injecting contrast to show blockages (coronary angiography) and measuring left ventricular pressures. It is the reference test for coronary artery disease and the starting point for stenting.
Example: LHC via right radial: 90% mid-LAD stenosis treated with one drug-eluting stent.
Commonly called a "cardiac cath" or "heart cath." Wrist access has replaced groin access in many centers because of fewer bleeding complications, as shown in trials such as RIVAL and MATRIX. Contrast can stress the kidneys, so kidney function is checked beforehand. A left ventriculogram may be added to assess wall motion.
Related abbreviations
More physics abbreviations
- ITER – International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
- kB – Boltzmann constant
- KE – Kinetic energy
- laser – Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
- lidar – Light detection and ranging
- LIGO – Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
- maser – Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
- MHD – Magnetohydrodynamics
See all 68 physics abbreviations →
More cardiology abbreviations
- LAE – Left atrial enlargement
- LAFB – Left anterior fascicular block
- LBBB – Left bundle branch block
- LCx – Left circumflex artery
- LIMA – Left internal mammary artery
- LM – Left main coronary artery
- Lp(a) – Lipoprotein(a)
- LQTS – Long QT syndrome
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.