- HAART
Highly
Active Antiretroviral Therapy, a term used to describe HIV combination therapy
with three or more drugs.
- haematocrit
Measurement
of the proportion of red cells in the blood.
- haematology
Study
of blood conditions. Also used to describe a range of biochemical tests carried
out on the blood.
- haemoglobin
Red-coloured,
oxygen-carrying chemical in red blood cells.
- haemophilia
Inherited
illness in which the blood does not always clot, often requiring injections of
blood clotting agents.
- half-life
The
amount of time it takes for half a dose of any drug to be eliminated from the
body.
- HAV
Abbreviation of
hepatitis A virus.
- hazard
Expresses the risk that, during one very short moment in time, a person will experience an event, given that they have not already done so.
- hazard ratio
Comparing one group with another, expresses differences in the risk of something happening. A hazard ratio above 1 means the risk is higher in the group of interest; a hazard ratio below 1 means the risk is lower. Similar to ‘relative risk’.
- HBV
Abbreviation of
hepatitis B virus.
- HCV
Abbreviation of
hepatitis C virus.
- heartburn
A burning chest pain or discomfort that occurs after eating.
- helper cell
An
alternative name for CD4 T cells.
- hepatic
To
do with the liver.
- hepatitis
Inflammation
or infection of the liver.
- hepatotoxicity
Side-effects
affecting the liver.
- herpes simplex
A
viral infection which may cause sores around the mouth or genitals.
- herpes viruses
Family
of viruses which can cause disease in HIV infection, e.g. cytomegalovirus and
herpes zoster.
- hickman catheter
A
type of catheter that is surgically implanted, with one end leading into a
large vein in the chest, and the other end remaining outside the chest. HICKMAN
is a registered trade mark of C R Bard Inc.
- histology
Examining
a sample of cells under a microscope to determine if they are normal or if
there is evidence of infections or tumours.
- historical control
A
comparison group of people not taking an experimental drug, taken from previous
clinical trials.
- HIV
Human
immunodeficiency virus, the virus which causes AIDS. There are two variants:
HIV-1, and HIV-2. HIV-1 is by far the most common world-wide. See subtype for
more information.
- homeopathy
A
therapy which aims to treat illness using tiny quantities of the substance that
caused the illness, or of a substance that causes similar symptoms.
- hormone
A
chemical which stimulates or suppresses cell and tissue activity.
- human papilloma virus (HPV)
A
group of wart-causing viruses which are also responsible for cancer of the
cervix and some anal cancers.
- hyper
Prefix
meaning higher than usual.
- hyperglycaemia
Raised
concentration of sugar in the blood.
- hyperlipidaemia
High
levels of fat in the blood.
- hypersensitivity
An
allergic reaction.
- hypertension
Raised
blood pressure.
- hypertriglyceridaemia
High
levels of triglycerides in the blood.
- hypo
Prefix
meaning lower than usual.
- hypothesis
A tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem. The purpose of a research study is to test whether the hypothesis is true or not.
- hypothesis test
Any
statistical test that aims to assess whether the differences observed are
likely to have occurred by chance.
- hypoxaemia
Reduced
amounts of oxygen in the blood, usually caused by pneumonia.
Antiretroviral drug chartA one-page reference guide to the anti-HIV drugs licensed for use in the UK or European Union, with information on formulation, dosing, key side effects and food requirements.
Your next stepsA booklet with information for people who’ve just found
out they have HIV.
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