Glossary

coronary heart disease (CHD) refers to the three main arteries that supply blood from the heart.

A coronary by-pass is a surgical operation to provide a new route for blood to reach the heart when coronary arteries become blocked.

CSF – cerebral spinal fluid – the fluid that circulates around the brain and spinal column.

HCV – hepatitis C, a virus that causes liver disease.

Guide to HIV and hepatitis C coinfection.

superinfection – another term for reinfection.

DEXA – a non-invasive scan that can measure the percentage of different body areas (whole body, trunk, right leg etc) that are muscle or fat. DEXA scans cannot determine if this is central fat (visceral adipose tissue, VAT) or sub-cutaneous fat (under the skin).

DEXA scan also can measure bone density and is used to monitor risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.