Glossary

The national Australian body for cervical cancer support and awareness.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cervical-cancer/

An Australian charity that funds research across endometrial and other gynaecological cancers.

Where you will see this:/conditions/endometrial-cancer/

An Australian organisation focusing specifically on sickle cell disease.

Where you will see this:/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/

A national Australian body offering patient support and a member network for people affected by breast cancer.

Where you will see this:/conditions/breast-cancer/

One of several Australian organisations supporting people affected by bladder cancer. BEAT is part of the organisation’s name rather than an abbreviation of longer words.

Where you will see this:/conditions/bladder-cancer/

The national Australian body for people living with cystic fibrosis.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cystic-fibrosis/

The dedicated body for people living with cardiomyopathy in both Australia and New Zealand.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cardiomyopathy/

A Victorian support organisation for people affected by asbestos-related diseases, which operates alongside the Asbestos Council of Victoria.

Where you will see this:/conditions/mesothelioma/

The national Australian body for people affected by haemophilia and related bleeding disorders. Separate state and territory foundations provide local support.

Where you will see this:/conditions/haemophilia/

The former name of the type 1 diabetes research and community organisation now called Breakthrough T1D. Older material and research funding records still use JDRF.

Where you will see this:/conditions/type-1-diabetes/

The national Australian body for myasthenia gravis, formed by an alliance of state associations.

Where you will see this:/conditions/myasthenia-gravis/

An Australian organisation supporting people with phenylketonuria and related metabolic disorders that are managed through diet.

Where you will see this:/conditions/phenylketonuria/

The national Australian patient advocacy body for people affected by melanoma.

Where you will see this:/conditions/melanoma/

A Western Australian organisation providing services and support for people with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions, and following a merger also covering South Australia and the Northern Territory. It was originally the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Western Australia and now trades under the initials alone.

Where you will see this:/conditions/multiple-sclerosis/

A United States mental health organisation that runs an information and referral helpline. It appears on this site’s international support listings.

Where you will see this:/helpful-links/

The Australian body providing patient advocacy and representation for people living with HIV.

Where you will see this:/conditions/hiv-aids/

An Australian charity that funds breast cancer research. It is a separate organisation from Breast Cancer Network Australia, which provides patient support.

Where you will see this:/conditions/breast-cancer/

An Australian Government initiative, delivered by Diabetes Australia, that provides registered people with diabetes access to subsidised products and support services.

An Australian peer support organisation for people with narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.

Where you will see this:/conditions/narcolepsy/, /conditions/sleep-disorders/

A South African mental health organisation running helpline services. It appears on this site’s international support listings.

Where you will see this:/helpful-links/

An Australian organisation supporting people affected by complex mental health issues. SANE is the organisation’s name rather than an abbreviation of longer words.

Where you will see this:/conditions/ocd/, /conditions/schizophrenia/, /helpful-links/

An Australian organisation covering inherited haemoglobin conditions broadly, including thalassaemia and sickle cell disease.

Where you will see this:/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/

The longer-established of the two Australian organisations supporting people with Sjogren’s syndrome.

Where you will see this:/conditions/sjogrens-syndrome/

A South Australian charitable group that funds health research and delivers condition-specific support services, including for Parkinson’s disease across South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

Where you will see this:/conditions/parkinsons-disease/

The national Australian lived-experience patient advocacy organisation for people affected by obesity.

Where you will see this:/conditions/obesity/

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control and activity levels. It is usually recognised in childhood, and for many people it continues into adult life.

Where you will see this:/conditions/adhd/

An irregular, and often fast, heart rhythm that starts in the two upper chambers of the heart. It is also commonly written as AFib.

Where you will see this:/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/

The most advanced stage of untreated HIV infection, reached when the immune system has been damaged enough for serious infections to take hold. Because HIV treatment is effective, most people diagnosed with HIV today never reach this stage.

Where you will see this:/conditions/hiv-aids/

The most common form of motor neurone disease, in which the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement gradually stop working. ALS and MND are often used to mean the same thing, and North American research usually uses ALS.

Where you will see this:/conditions/motor-neurone-disease/

A type of inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine and the joints connecting the spine to the pelvis, causing pain and stiffness.

Where you will see this:/conditions/angelman-syndrome/, /conditions/ankylosing-spondylitis/

A lifelong neurodevelopmental difference affecting communication, social interaction, and patterns of behaviour and sensory experience. "Spectrum" reflects how widely support needs vary between people.

Where you will see this:/conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/

An inherited condition that causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus, mainly affecting the lungs and the digestive system.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cystic-fibrosis/

A long-term condition whose central feature is profound fatigue that rest does not relieve, often worsening after physical or mental activity. It is also called ME, and the two are frequently written together as ME/CFS.

Where you will see this:/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/, /conditions/long-covid/

A long-term reduction in how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood. It usually develops slowly and is described in stages.

Where you will see this:/conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/

A group of long-term lung conditions, mainly emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that make it progressively harder to breathe air out of the lungs.

Where you will see this:/conditions/copd/, /conditions/pulmonary-hypertension/

The illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On this site it most often appears as "long COVID", meaning symptoms that continue for months after the initial infection.

Where you will see this:/conditions/long-covid/

Long-term inflammation of the lining of the nose and the sinuses, the hollow spaces in the bones around the nose and eyes, lasting twelve weeks or more.

Where you will see this:/conditions/chronic-rhinosinusitis/

Swelling in the macula, the central part of the retina, caused by diabetes-related damage to small blood vessels in the eye. Australian sources usually spell it oedema — see DMO, which is the same condition.

Where you will see this:/conditions/retinal-vein-occlusion/

The Australian and British spelling of diabetic macular edema. DMO and DME are the same condition, and research databases carry both spellings.

Where you will see this:/conditions/retinal-vein-occlusion/

An inherited condition affecting the nervous system and the heart, causing a progressive loss of coordination and balance. It is sometimes written Friedreich’s Ataxia.

Where you will see this:/conditions/friedreich-ataxia/

The American spelling of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. GERD and GORD are the same condition, and international research uses GERD.

Where you will see this:/conditions/gord/

A condition where stomach contents repeatedly flow back up into the oesophagus, the tube connecting the throat to the stomach, causing heartburn and other symptoms.

A virus that infects the liver. Some infections clear on their own and others become long-term, which is described as chronic hepatitis B.

A virus that infects the liver. Long-term hepatitis C infection can now be cured in most people with a course of antiviral tablets.

Where you will see this:/conditions/hepatitis-c/

A virus that attacks the immune system. With ongoing treatment that keeps the amount of virus in the blood undetectable, people living with HIV have a normal life expectancy and cannot pass the virus on to sexual partners.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cervical-cancer/, /conditions/hiv-aids/, /conditions/lung-cancer/, /conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/ and 1 more page

A very common group of viruses spread by skin-to-skin contact. Most infections cause no problems, but some types can lead to cervical and certain head and neck cancers, and a vaccine protects against those types.

Where you will see this:/conditions/cervical-cancer/, /conditions/head-and-neck-cancer/

An umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, in which parts of the digestive tract become inflamed long-term. It is a different condition from IBS, despite the similar name.

Where you will see this:/conditions/crohns-disease-and-colitis/

A common long-term disorder of how the gut works, causing abdominal pain and changes in bowel habit. Unlike IBD, it does not involve inflammation or damage to the bowel.

Where you will see this:/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/

An umbrella term for a group of conditions that inflame or scar the tissue around the lungs’ tiny air sacs, making it harder for oxygen to reach the blood.

Another name for chronic fatigue syndrome, usually written ME/CFS. Many patient organisations prefer ME because it does not reduce the condition to tiredness.

Where you will see this:/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/, /conditions/long-covid/

An autoimmune condition in which the signal between nerve and muscle is disrupted, causing muscle weakness that typically gets worse with use and improves with rest.

Where you will see this:/conditions/myasthenia-gravis/

A group of conditions in which the nerves controlling movement gradually stop working, leading to muscle weakness. ALS is its most common form.

Where you will see this:/conditions/motor-neurone-disease/

A condition in which the immune system damages the protective coating around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, disrupting the signals they carry.

Where you will see this:/conditions/multiple-sclerosis/

A build-up of fat in the liver that is not caused by drinking alcohol. It is increasingly referred to in newer research under the name metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

A mental health condition involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviours carried out to relieve the distress those thoughts cause.

Where you will see this:/conditions/ocd/

A narrowing or blockage of the arteries that carry blood to the legs and feet, which can cause pain when walking.

Where you will see this:/conditions/peripheral-arterial-disease/

A long-term autoimmune condition that damages the small bile ducts inside the liver. It was previously called primary biliary cirrhosis, and older sources still use that name.

Where you will see this:/conditions/primary-biliary-cholangitis/

An inherited condition in which the body cannot break down phenylalanine, an amino acid found in protein. It is picked up by newborn screening and managed with a strict lifelong diet.

Where you will see this:/conditions/phenylketonuria/

An inflammatory condition causing pain and stiffness, mainly in the shoulders, neck and hips. It almost always begins after the age of 50.

A mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a frightening or distressing event.

Where you will see this:/conditions/ptsd/

An autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing pain and swelling. It is a different condition from osteoarthritis, which is caused by joint wear over time.

Where you will see this:/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/

A strong urge to move the legs, often with uncomfortable sensations, typically worse in the evening and when sitting or lying still.

A blockage in one of the veins draining blood away from the retina at the back of the eye, which can affect vision.

Where you will see this:/conditions/retinal-vein-occlusion/

The most common form of lupus, an autoimmune condition that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys and other organs.

Where you will see this:/conditions/lupus/

An inherited condition affecting the nerve cells that control muscle movement, causing progressive muscle weakness.

Where you will see this:/conditions/spinal-muscular-atrophy/

A bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs. It is treatable with a course of antibiotics taken over several months.

Where you will see this:/conditions/tuberculosis/

A temporary interruption to the blood supply to part of the brain, sometimes called a mini-stroke. The symptoms pass, but it is treated as a warning sign.

Where you will see this:/conditions/stroke/

The combination of medicines used to control HIV. It is often taken as a single tablet once a day, and it works by stopping the virus from copying itself.

Where you will see this:/conditions/hiv-aids/

A World Health Organization system that groups medicines by the part of the body they act on and by their therapeutic and chemical properties. This site uses it to group medicines that are in shortage.

A number calculated from a person’s height and weight, used as a rough indicator of body size across populations. It does not distinguish muscle from fat and says nothing about an individual’s health on its own.

Where you will see this:/conditions/obesity/

A structured talking therapy that focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and on changing unhelpful patterns between them.

Where you will see this:/conditions/depression-and-anxiety/, /conditions/fibromyalgia/

The gene that is faulty in cystic fibrosis, and the protein it produces, which controls the movement of salt and water in and out of cells. Several modern cystic fibrosis medicines act on this protein directly.

A company that runs clinical trials on behalf of a sponsor, such as a pharmaceutical company or a university, rather than sponsoring the research itself.

A protein on immune cells that acts as a brake on the immune system. Some cancer treatments work by blocking CTLA-4, releasing that brake so the immune system can attack tumours more effectively.

A group of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can ferment in the gut. A low-FODMAP diet is sometimes used to manage irritable bowel syndrome.

The gene that is faulty in Friedreich ataxia, and the protein it makes, which cells need to handle iron and produce energy.

Where you will see this:/conditions/friedreich-ataxia/

A doctor who provides general medical care in the community. A GP is usually the first point of contact for a new health problem, and the person who writes referrals to specialists.

Where you will see this:/, /conditions/, /conditions/adhd/, /conditions/alzheimers-disease/ and 26 more pages

A set of genes that control how the immune system tells the body’s own cells apart from foreign ones. Particular HLA markers, such as HLA-B27, are more common in people with certain conditions, but carrying one does not mean a person will develop it.

The identifier given to every study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, the United States trial registry. It always begins with the letters NCT followed by eight digits.

Where you will see this:/trials/compare/

A type of receptor in the brain involved in memory and learning. Some medicines work by adjusting NMDA receptor activity, including certain treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions.

The number identifying a published article in PubMed, the United States National Library of Medicine’s index of biomedical literature.

A protein made by the prostate gland that can be measured with a blood test. Levels can be raised for several reasons, not only cancer.

Where you will see this:/conditions/prostate-cancer/

A treatment for tumours in the liver that delivers chemotherapy directly into the artery feeding the tumour, and then blocks that artery to cut off its blood supply.

An operation to remove a tumour from the bladder wall using instruments passed through the urethra, so no external cut is needed.

The part of sunlight that is not visible but damages skin cells. UV exposure is the main preventable cause of melanoma and other skin cancers.

The unique number identifying a business registered in Australia. Voxsanity publishes its own ABN in the footer of every page so the operating entity can be checked in the public business register.

Where you will see this:/about/, /contact/, /editorial-policy/, /press/ and 2 more pages

Australia’s national statistical agency, and the source of Australian population and socio-economic statistics.

The clock time used in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania during daylight saving, roughly October to April. Support service opening hours on this site are given in this or in Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Where you will see this:/conditions/, /helpful-links/, /trials/

The clock time used along Australia’s east coast outside daylight saving, and used in Queensland all year. Support service opening hours on this site are given in this or in Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

Where you will see this:/conditions/, /helpful-links/, /trials/

The registry where clinical trials run in Australia and New Zealand are recorded. This site does not draw records from it: its reuse terms have never been confirmed in writing, so no ANZCTR data is synced.

Where you will see this:/data-coverage/, /data-sources/, /for-clinicians/, /today/

The official list of medicines and medical devices that may be supplied in Australia, maintained by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. A product’s presence on it is a matter of public record.

Where you will see this:/data-coverage/, /shortages/

The policy research and evaluation office of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, cited on this site as the source of a research finding.

The number printed on the packaging of a medicine registered in Australia, matching its entry on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. It is how a specific product is identified in shortage notices.

A licence allowing data to be reused freely, including commercially, on the condition that the original source is credited. Several government datasets on this site are published under it, which is why their source is named beside the data.

Where you will see this:/conditions/, /data-sources/, /llms.txt, /shortages/

The agency that evaluates and supervises medicines for the European Union, equivalent in role to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Where you will see this:/llms.txt

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ official measure of how many people live in an area. It is a different collection from the Census and is taken at different times, so the two do not always agree.

The United States database of side effects and other problems reported after a medicine has been approved. Reports in it are submitted voluntarily and do not establish that a medicine caused the event described.

The United States regulator responsible for approving medicines and medical devices. Its decisions do not apply in Australia, where the Therapeutic Goods Administration is the regulator.

Where you will see this:/llms.txt

An OECD measure of how much a government budgets for research and development, used to compare health research funding between countries.

The European Union law governing how personal data is handled. It is named in this site’s privacy policy alongside the Australian Privacy Act.

An international naming system that gives each type of medical device a standard term, so the same device can be identified across countries.

The World Health Organization’s standard system of codes for diseases and health conditions, used worldwide in health records and statistics.

The World Health Organization’s platform bringing together records from national trial registries. This site does not use it, and says so where trial coverage is described.

Where you will see this:/data-sources/

A United States research institute that publishes global health burden estimates. This site does not use its data, because its licence does not permit commercial use.

One of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ SEIFA indexes, ranking areas from most to least disadvantaged. It is usually shown in tenths, where 1 is the most disadvantaged and 10 the most advantaged.

A registry of clinical trials, largely of studies run in the United Kingdom and Europe, and one of the registries this site draws trial records from.

Where you will see this:/conditions/, /data-sources/, /editorial-policy/, /find-trials/ and 3 more pages

A peer-reviewed medical journal, cited on this site as the source of a published research finding.

An Australian Government fund that pays for medical research, alongside the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The Australian Government scheme that funds supports for people with a permanent and significant disability. Whether a person is eligible is decided by the scheme, not by this site.

Where you will see this:/conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/

Australia’s main government body for funding health and medical research and for setting research standards.

The main medical research agency of the United States Government, and the source of the research funding figures shown on this site.

Where you will see this:/conditions/

The United States library that maintains PubMed and MedlinePlus. The plain-English descriptions of conditions on this site are reproduced from MedlinePlus.

The Australian regulator for privacy and freedom of information, and the body a person can complain to about how their personal information has been handled.

Where you will see this:/privacy/

An international body that collects and publishes comparable statistics across member countries, including health research spending.

The reference number Orphanet, the European database of rare diseases, gives each condition it lists. It is written as ORPHA followed by a number.

Where you will see this:/conditions/

The independent committee that advises the Australian Government on which medicines should be subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and on what terms.

Where you will see this:/pbs-explained/

The Australian Government scheme that subsidises the cost of prescription medicines. A medicine is listed for the specific uses written into its listing, which can be narrower than the condition as a whole.

Where you will see this:/access/, /conditions/, /conditions/hepatitis-c/, /conditions/interstitial-cystitis/ and 9 more pages

A way of converting money between countries that adjusts for differences in what it actually buys, so spending figures can be compared more fairly than by exchange rate alone.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration pathway through which a doctor can arrange a medicine that is not registered in Australia for an individual patient. Access is arranged by the treating doctor, not by this site.

Where you will see this:/access/, /sas-navigator/

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ set of measures ranking areas by relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage. IRSAD is one of these indexes.

The Australian regulator for medicines, medical devices and blood products. It maintains the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and publishes medicine shortage information.

Where you will see this:/, /access/, /conditions/, /data-coverage/ and 11 more pages

The United States agency that grants patents, which are one of the things that shape when a medicine can be made by more than one manufacturer.

The international standard for making websites usable by people with disability. This site’s accessibility statement describes how it measures against them.

Where you will see this:/accessibility/

The United Nations agency for international public health. It maintains the International Classification of Diseases and the ATC medicine classification.

Where you will see this:/conditions/, /data-sources/