Category: Ha-Hf

The physique or body build. Also the posture. For example, corticosteroid therapy can produce a characteristic cushingoid habitus with a moon face, “buffalo hump” at the back of the neck, and obesity of the trunk. From the Latin for “condition” from the Latin verb “habere” meaning “to hold.”

The miscarriage of 3 or more consecutive pregnancies. The abortion of 3 or more miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) with no intervening pregnancies is also termed recurrent abortion. Habitual or recurrent abortion is a form of infertility. It is sometimes due to chromosome abnormalities or other genetic causes.

Stands for highly active antiretroviral therapy. Treatment with a very potent drug “cocktail” to suppress the growth of HIV, the retrovirus responsible for AIDS.

Medical shorthand for history and physical, the initial clinical evaluation and examination of the patient.

H and H, sometimes written as “H&H”, is a popular shorthand for hemoglobin and hematocrit, two very common and important blood tests. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein pigment in the blood, specifically in the red blood cells. In the test for hemoglobin (Hb), it is usually measured as total hemoglobin expressed as the amount of hemoglobin in grams (gm) per…