Category: A

Drugs that help lower blood pressure. Blood pressure measures the force with which blood moves through the blood vessels. While blood pressure normally varies throughout the day, rising during exercise and falling during sleep, in some people the blood pressure stays high all the time. Some cases of high blood pressure (hypertension) can be treated…

Poisoning following the, consumption of motor vehicle antifreeze. Antifreeze is made up almost entirely of ethylene glycol, a clear, colorless, odorless liquid with a sweet taste. Antifreeze poisoning chiefly occurs when children accidentally drink antifreeze, which they sometimes consume in large amounts because it tastes sweet. Alcoholics also sometimes drink antifreeze as a substitute for…

Antibodies directed against cardiolipin. The presence of anticardiolipin antibodies is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and with a syndrome characterized by a n increased risk of blood clots, or thrombi, within the cardiovascular system.  

A holistic medical approach based on an integration of spiritual and physical factors in pursuit of good health. Founded by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian physician in the 19th century, anthroposophical medicine seeks to meld conventional medical knowledge with its view of spiritual factors. Some important herbal remedies have come from the anthroposophical tradition.  

The use of animals in medical laboratory studies. Animal experimentation is a well-established standard in the process of pursuing solutions to human health problems and is considered essential by many medical scientists to find cures for life-threatening diseases and conditions. Most laboratory animals are rodents that are specifically bred for research because of the similarities…

A method to cause loss of sensation and consciousness to prevent pain during ambulatory surgery, when the patient is discharged the same day that the operation is performed.  

The group of male sex hormones that stimulate the development of the male sex organs and other male characteristics. Androgen hormones are produced by the testicles and the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal glands). Testosterone, the most powerful of the male hormones, is produced by the testicles. Small quantities of weaker androgen…

An anticancer drug. Anastrozole (Arimidex) is used to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole works by reducing the amount of the hormone estradiol produced in the body. Side effects may mimic menopause. An anticancer drug, specifically indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women, is prescribed to target and combat…

A natural or artificial connection, usually by surgery, of two tubular channels that may or may not normally be joined. An anastomosis can involve the intestines, arteries, or veins. Most commonly, a natural anastomosis takes the form of two blood vessels converging. Surgical anastomosis is performed to treat various disorders. For example, it is often…

Sexual stimulation of the rectal area for either sex, usually by penetration with the penis. Unprotected anal intercourse puts people at a high risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as warts, or mv (human immunodeficiency virus); use of latex condoms for anal sex helps prevent STDs.