Glossary

Starting with A for "ACE inhibitor" and continuing through to Y for "Yolk Sac Tumour", we give you succinct explanations for scientific and medical terms in clear and simple words.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Waist-hip ratio

Abbreviation WHR

Ratio between the circumferences of the waist and hips, which serves to determine the distribution of fat tissue. In men the WHR should be under 1, and in women under 0.8. The WHR is better then the body-mass index at predicting the occurrence and course of, for example, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes and other metabolic abnormalities in cases of moderate overweight.

Wave of Influenza

Concentrated occurrence of influenza infections. It is a characteristic of flu that it occurs more frequently at certain times in certain areas, so that an increase in influenza cases each year in the winter months can be expected. Spreading of the disease over several countries or continents (pandemic) is observed at intervals of decades. Pandemic waves of influenza included the 'Russian Cold', the 'Spanish Flu ', the 'Asiatic Flu ' and the 'Hong Kong Flu'. At the centres of an epidemic, the probability of disease is ca. 30 %; in pandemic areas it is higher.

Wedge-shaped deformity to the vertebra

Wedge-shaped deformity to the vertebral body. Occurs particularly in osteoporosis, but also as a result of injury or in scoliosis and some other diseases of the spine. Scoliosis is a condition with fixed lateral displacement of the spinal column accompanied by humpback.

Weight age

Weight age means the age at which the current body weight corresponds to the average weight in the normal population.

WHO

Abbreviation for the World Health Organisation;

International Federation with headquarters in Geneva, for collaboration related to health services, in particular in the prevention and combating of widespread diseases and epidemics and in vaccine production.

WHR

Abbreviation for Waist-hip ratio

Wilms¿ tumour

a malignant tumour of the kidney that primarily affects children and is made up of embryonic elements; it accounts for 5% to 6% of kidney tumours; also called nephroblastoma

Glossary entries: Roche and Walter de Gruyter, Berlin

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