Osteoporosis Medications Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would b...

Alkaline phosphatase: An enzyme that liberates phosphate under alkaline conditions and is ...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also re...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Bisphosphonate: A class of drugs used to strengthen bone. Bisphosphonates are used to trea...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Blood clots: Blood that has been converted from a liquid to a solid state. Also called a t...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

Bone cancer: A malignancy of bone. Primary bone cancer (cancer that begins in bone) is rar...

Bone density: Bone density is the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. It ca...

Bone mineral density: BMD, a measure of bone density, reflecting the strength of bones as ...

Breast cancer: Breast cancer is diagnosed with self- and physician-examination of the brea...

Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

Calcitonin: A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that lowers the levels of calcium and ...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

Coughing up blood: see hemoptysis.

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Effective dose: The dose of a drug that will achieve the desired effect.

Emboli: Something that travels through the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel and block...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Esophageal: Related to the esophagus.

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Estrogens: Female hormones produced by the ovaries. Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteop...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Genetics: The scientific study of heredity. Genetics pertains to humans and all other orga...

Gynecology: The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the f...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

Hives: A raised, itchy area of skin that may be a sign of an allergic reaction. It can be ...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hypocalcemia: Lower-than-normal level of calcium in the blood, which makes the nervous sys...

Hysterectomy: An operation to remove the uterus. Hysterectomies are most commonly performe...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lightheadedness: A feeling you are "going to faint." Lightheadedness is medically distinc...

Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Lower leg: The lower leg is the bottom segment of the leg: the part below the knee.

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Obstetrics: The art and science of managing pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium (the time...

Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calc...

Osteosarcoma: A cancer of the bone that is most common in adolescents and young adults. Tr...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Parathyroid hormone: See Parathormone.

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Placebo: A "sugar pill" or any dummy medication or treatment.

Postmenopausal: After menopause, the period of time after a woman has experienced 12 conse...

Postmenopause: The period of time after the menopause. The postmenopause is formally defin...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Progestin: Any one of a group of steroid hormones that have the effect of progesterone.

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Receptor: 1. In cell biology, a structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cel...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the nonsurgical evaluation...

Runny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ...

SERM: Selective estrogen-receptor modulator.

Skeletal: Pertaining to the skeleton, the bones of the body that collectively provide the ...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Strontium: An earth element and metal with atomic no. 38, atomic wt. 87.62 that is used in...

Subcutaneous: Under the skin. For example, a subcutaneous injection is an injection in whi...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Sumycin: See: Tetracycline.

Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Tetracycline: A family of broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against a remarkably wide v...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Thrombophlebitis: Inflammation of a vein that occurs when a blood clot forms.

Thrombosis: The formation or presence of a blood clot in a blood vessel. The vessel may be...

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Tiredness: See: Tired.

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

Uric acid: A breakdown product of purines that are part of many foods. In gout, there are ...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Uterine cancer: A malignant tumor of the uterus (womb), which occurs most often in women b...

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Vertebrae: The preferred plural of vertebra. (The alternate plural is vertebras.) See also...

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

Vitamin K: One of two naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2)...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...

Women's Health Initiative: A long-term national health study that focuses on strategies fo...