Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «A»:
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Agent, antifungal
Agent, antifungal: A drug used to treat fungal infections.
Examples of antifungal drugs include miconazole (MONISTAT) and clotrimazole (LOTRIMIN, MYCELEX)....
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Agent, antihypertensive
Agent, antihypertensive: As the name suggests, a drug aimed at
reducing high blood pressure (hypertension)....
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Agent, antimicrobial
Agent, antimicrobial: See: Antimicrobial agent....
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Agent, antiprotozoal
Agent, antiprotozoal: An agent that destroys protozoa or inhibits their growth and ability to reproduce.
A few of the protozoa of medical importance include Plasmodium (the cause of malaria); Entamoeba histolytica (the cause of amebiasis, amebic dysentery) and Trichomonas vaginalis (a cause of vagin...
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Agent, antiviral
Agent, antiviral: An agent that kills viruses or
suppresses their replication and, hence, inhibits their capability to
multiply and reproduce.
For example, amantadine (BRAND name: SYMMETREL) is a synthetic (man-
made) drug that inhibits the multiplication of the influenza A virus
and has therefo...
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Agent, tocolytic
Agent, tocolytic: A medication that can inhibit labor, slow down or
halt the contractions of the uterus. Tocolytic agents are widely used today to treat
premature labor and permit pregnancy to proceed and so let the fetus gain in size and
maturity before being born....
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Ageusia
Ageusia: The inability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, or salty substances. Some people can taste but their ability to do so is reduced; they are said to have hypogeusia....
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Aggressive
Aggressive: In oncology, quickly growing, tending to spread rapidly. As, for example, an aggressive tumor....
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Aggressive angiomyxoma
Aggressive angiomyxoma: A slow-growing tumor of stromal cells which occurs primarily in the genital and pelvic regions. This tumor is much more common in women. It can range from relatively small tumors to football-size masses in the pelvis. The histologic appearance of the tumor under the microscop...
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Aggressive lymphoma
Aggressive lymphoma: A lymphoma that tends to grow and spread quickly and cause severe symptoms. In contrast to an indolent or low-grade lymphoma which tends to grow quite slowly and cause fewer symptoms. Aggressive lymphoma are also known as intermediate or high-grade lymphomas....
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Aging
Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.
Research into aging: To sum up the state of research into aging is well beyond the confines of this space (and this writer's talents). However, here is one type of research into the genetics...
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Aging, National Institute on
Aging, National Institute on (NIA): One of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The
mission of the National Institute on Aging is to "lead a national
program of research on
the biomedical, social, and behavioral aspects of the aging
process; the prevention of age-related diseases and
dis...
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Agita
Agita: Heartburn, acid indigestion, an upset stomach or, by extension, a general feeling of upset. The word is Italian-American slang derived from the Italian "agitare" meaning "to agitate."...
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Agitated depression
Agitated depression: A major depressive disorder with restlessness and motor excitement. Agitated depression was once called melancholia agitata. It is now also known as mixed mania....
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Agnate
Agnate: 1. As a noun, a relative on the father's side.
2. As an adjective, related on the father's side.
As opposed to enate (someone related on the mother's side) From the Latin agnatus, the past participle of agnasci (to issue forth), from ad+ nasci (to be born)....
