steatosis – fatty liver. Build up of fat in the liver. Steatosis worsens liver damage and makes hepatitis C harder to treat.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
late breaker – in research, this is a study presented at a medical meeting that was submitted to the conference organisers after the main programme had been decided. There are usually only a few dozen late-breakers, where the last minute results are thought important enough to include – like ‘late-breaking news’. Although this studies often contain the most exciting news, they are given much less time to present their results – maybe less than 10 minutes compared to a normal 15 or 20 minute session. These summary results are also difficult to verify because they include fewer slides and fewer details.
Hypotension is the medical name for low blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured as two numbers ie 120/80. The first number is systolic BP – the pressure when your heart beats. The second number is diastolic BP, which is the pressure when you heart rests between beats.
Target range for BP is usually 120/80.
See: hypertension (high blood pressure).
HCV – hepatitis C, a virus that causes liver disease.
bradycardia is when the heart beats too slowly.
tachycardia refers to when the heart beats too fast.
See: arrhythmia