Glossary
Hormone-health terms, defined
Plain-language definitions for the terms you’ll hear from a clinician and read in the journals. Each entry is medically reviewed and links to the deeper articles that explore it.
25 termsD
2 termsDengue Fever
Also: breakbone fever · dengue
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness that causes an estimated 100–400 million infections worldwide each year.
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Dyslipidemia (High Cholesterol)
Also: high cholesterol · hyperlipidemia
Dyslipidemia is an abnormal blood lipid pattern, often with LDL cholesterol above 190 mg/dL in severe hypercholesterolemia.
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G
3 termsGERD (Acid Reflux)
Also: acidity · acid reflux
GERD is repeated acid reflux that causes troublesome symptoms or complications; about 20% of people in the United States have it.
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Gestational Diabetes
Also: GDM · pregnancy diabetes
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar first recognized during pregnancy, usually screened for at 24–28 weeks.
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Gout
Also: gouty arthritis · high uric acid
Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by monosodium urate crystals, and about 50% of acute flares may occur without high serum uric acid.
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H
4 termsHashimoto's Thyroiditis
Also: autoimmune thyroiditis · chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease and the most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient regions.
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Hypertension
Also: high blood pressure · high BP
Hypertension is persistently high blood pressure, commonly defined as 140/90 mmHg or higher on repeated measurements.
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Hyperthyroidism
Also: overactive thyroid · thyrotoxicosis
Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid state in which low TSH and high T3 and/or T4 cause excess thyroid hormone effects.
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Hypothyroidism
Also: underactive thyroid · low thyroid
Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid; in the U.S., nearly 5 out of 100 people age 12 or older have it.
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I
2 termsIron-Deficiency Anemia
Also: IDA · anaemia
Iron-deficiency anemia is anemia caused by too little iron to make hemoglobin, and it affects about 1.2 billion people worldwide.
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Also: irritable bowel syndrome · spastic colon
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gut-brain interaction disorder causing recurrent abdominal pain with altered bowel habits.
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O
2 termsOsteoarthritis
Also: OA · degenerative joint disease
Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis, affecting about 528 million people worldwide in 2019 and causing joint pain, stiffness, and reduced function.
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Osteoporosis
Also: brittle bones · low bone density
Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which bone mineral density falls and fracture risk rises; a DXA T-score of -2.5 or lower defines osteoporosis.
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P
3 termsPCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
Also: polycystic ovary syndrome · PCOD
PCOS is a common hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting about 10–13% of reproductive-aged women worldwide.
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Peptic Ulcer Disease
Also: stomach ulcer · gastric ulcer
Peptic ulcer disease is an acid-related sore in the stomach or duodenum; gastric ulcers are often defined as defects larger than 5 mm.
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Prediabetes
Also: borderline diabetes · impaired glucose tolerance
Prediabetes is blood sugar above normal but below diabetes, often defined by an A1C of 5.7% to 6.4%.
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T
3 termsType 1 Diabetes
Also: T1DM · insulin-dependent diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin, and about 5% to 10% of diabetes cases are type 1.
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Type 2 Diabetes
Also: T2DM · adult-onset diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body resists insulin and insulin production becomes inadequate.
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Typhoid Fever
Also: enteric fever · typhoid
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Salmonella Typhi, with about 9 million cases worldwide each year.
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V
2 termsVitamin B12 Deficiency
Also: cobalamin deficiency · low B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a lack of cobalamin that can cause anemia and nerve damage, and some labs use serum B12 below 200 pg/mL as a cutoff.
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Vitamin D Deficiency
Also: hypovitaminosis D · low vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is a low blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, commonly defined as less than 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).
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