The CV medical abbreviation most often means cardiovascular, which refers to the heart and the blood vessels that carry blood around the body. In a chart, CV usually labels the heart portion of a physical exam or a review of systems, or it describes a risk or disease, as in CV risk or CV disease.
Because the letters are so short, CV has a few other meanings in particular settings, such as central venous in critical care, color vision in an eye exam and coefficient of variation in lab reports. Outside medicine it is also a resume, and health care job postings use it that way. The words around it almost always make the meaning clear, and the writer of the note settles any doubt.
At a glance
Stands for
Cardiovascular (most common)Other meanings
Central venous, color vision, coefficient of variation, curriculum vitaeWhere you see it
Physical exam notes, review of systems, cardiology reports, risk scoresRelated forms
Do not confuse with
CVA, which usually means a strokeSpecialty
Cardiology, internal medicine, critical care
The CV medical abbreviation in cardiology and exam notes
Cardiovascular joins two word parts: cardio, meaning heart, and vascular, meaning vessels. When a clinician writes CV as a heading, the line that follows describes how the heart sounds and how well blood is reaching the body. It is one of the standard systems in a head to toe exam, listed alongside lungs, abdomen and others.
In a cardiology letter or a research summary, CV more often works as an adjective. CV risk means the chance of heart attack or stroke, CV events are those outcomes, and CV death means death from a heart or vessel cause. Heart failure, blocked coronary arteries and hypertension all count as CV conditions.
Decoding a typical CV exam line
Exam lines are dense with shorthand. Here is a common one broken down.
| Shorthand | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CV: | Cardiovascular exam findings follow |
| RRR | Rhythm is regular and the rate is normal |
| S1 S2 | First and second heart sounds, the familiar lub dub |
| no m/r/g | Extra sounds such as murmurs, rubs and gallops are absent |
| 2+ distal pulses | Normal strength pulses in the wrists or feet |
| no JVD | No swollen neck veins |
Review of systems: "CV: denies chest pain, palpitations, leg swelling." Here CV marks the questions asked about heart symptoms. Denies means the patient said no, so this line records normal answers rather than exam findings.
Other meanings of CV and how to tell them apart
| Meaning | Setting | Clue in the note |
|---|---|---|
| Central venous | Critical care, anesthesia | Often part of CVC or CVP, near words like line or catheter |
| Color vision | Eye exams, occupational health | Near visual acuity, plates or color testing |
| Coefficient of variation | Lab quality control, research | Given as a percent next to precision data |
| Cervical vertebra | Spine and imaging | Usually written as C1 to C7 rather than CV |
| Curriculum vitae | Hiring and credentialing | Job applications, not patient records |
If a single CV in a patient note seems unclear, the section heading usually answers it. Under an exam or symptom list, it is cardiovascular nearly every time.
Look alike abbreviations that start with CV
Several common terms add a letter to CV, and each has a distinct meaning. CVA, cerebrovascular accident, is an older term for stroke and involves the brain's vessels rather than the heart. CVD can mean cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease, so context matters. CVC is a central venous catheter, an IV line placed in a big vein, and CVP is central venous pressure, a measurement taken through that line. In prenatal care, letters starting with CV can also point to chorionic villus sampling, a test of placental tissue, so the setting is worth checking.
The diagnosis abbreviations page gathers more heart and vessel terms in one place.
For students and scribes
Keep the CV heading for heart and circulation findings only, and put lung sounds under their own heading. Record pulses, swelling and neck veins here if your template allows, since they reflect circulation. When you mean central venous, write the full term or the complete abbreviation such as CVC, because a bare CV in an ICU note can be read as a heart exam heading.
Spell out color vision in eye or school screening forms when space allows.
Questions a patient might ask
Seeing CV in a portal note is usually routine, but these questions can help if a result or comment worries you.
- Was the CV part of my exam normal?
- What does my CV risk number mean, and what affects it?
- Does CV here mean the heart, or a line or test?
This guide explains common meanings of CV in general. Your own clinician can tell you what it means in your record and whether any finding needs follow up.
Frequently asked questions
What does CV mean in medical terms?
CV most often means cardiovascular, referring to the heart and blood vessels. It also has narrower meanings such as central venous, color vision and coefficient of variation, depending on the setting.
What does CV mean on a physical exam?
On an exam, CV is the heading for heart findings, such as rhythm, heart sounds and pulses. A normal entry might read CV: RRR, no murmurs.
Is CV the same as CVA?
No. CV refers to the heart and vessels in general, while CVA stands for cerebrovascular accident, an older term for stroke.
What is CV risk?
CV risk is the estimated chance of having a heart attack, stroke or related event over a set period. Clinicians calculate it from factors such as age, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.
What does CV mean in cardiology reports?
In cardiology, CV usually means cardiovascular, as in CV disease or CV events. It describes conditions and outcomes involving the heart and blood vessels.