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Glossary

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half-life
time required for half the amount of a drug to be eliminated from the body
harm reduction program
program in an organization that provides information, referrals, counselling, or services from a harm reduction perspective, generally around drugs and drug use; examples include needle exchange, methadone maintenance, peer education, condom distribution, supervised injection sites, community outreach, drug warnings and trend surveillance, and community nursing
HCV antibody testing
blood test that looks for and detects antibodies to the hepatitis C virus
hemochromatosis
disease in which too much iron is absorbed from the intestine and the excess iron accumulates in various organs. The liver is the first organ to store iron. Iron may accumulate in the heart, pituitary gland and elsewhere in the body as well. If untreated, damage to the liver, heart and pancreas may eventually cause death.
hemodialysis
process of removing blood from the body, cleansing the blood, and returning it to the body by using a machine for that purpose; often used for people with kidney failure
hemoglobin
component of red blood cells that carries oxygen
hemophilia
inherited disease found mostly in males and prevents normal blood clotting which causes easy bruising or even small wounds to bleed a lot. It is treated by lifelong injections of a synthetic version of the clotting factor lacking in persons with the disease
hemophiliac
person who has hemophilia, and is unable to produce proteins for clotting of blood
hepatic encephalopathy
abnormal brain function caused by passage of toxic substances from the liver to the blood
hepatocellular carcinoma
liver cancer
hepatologist
doctor who specializes in diseases of the liver
herbal remedies
medically active substances taken from plants and used to treat certain medical conditions
HIV
human immunodeficiency virus; the virus that causes AIDS by weakening the immune system
holistic
relating to the whole person or the whole being; recognizing that any occurrence or illness is connected to other situations and events, and all of these must be taken into account in treatment
homeopathy
holistic treatment that uses specially prepared remedies taken from animals, plants, and minerals to treat the whole person
hormones
chemical messenger in the body that triggers specific functions or changes in the body
hyperglycemia
abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood