Please browse our alphabetized list of medical and science acronyms. If you don't find the acronym you're looking for, you may want to try searching Google by typing in the acronym plus "stands for." So, for instance, if you wanted to know the meaning of HDL, you'd type in "HDL stands for." This simple phrasing has turned up many hard to find acronyms that are now categorized on this web site.
ACA - Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")
ACL - Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ligament often torn in knee injuries)
ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
ALA - Alpha-Linoleic Acid
AMD - Age-related Macular Degeneration
BBS - Bashful Bladder Syndrome
BGH - Bovine Growth Hormone
BHT - Butylated Hydroxytoluene (a preservative found in nearly every breakfast cereal)
BMI - Body Mass Index
BMR - Basil Metabolic Rate
CAM - Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CHD - Coronary Heart Disease
CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
DHA - Docosahexanoic Acid
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DOA - Dead On Arrival
EFA - Essential Fatty Acids
ELS - Equidistant Letter Sequences (as employed in
The Bible Code)
EMT - Emergency Medical Technician
EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid
ER - Emergency Room
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
fMRI - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
GD - Gestational Diabetes
GLA - Gamma-Linoleic Acid
HDL - High-Density Lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
HEPA - High-Efficiency Particulate Air (Filter)
HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HMO - Health Maintenance Organization
HPV - Human Papilloma Virus
HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy (man-made drugs used to ease the symptoms of menopause)
HSA - Health Savings Account
ICU - Intensive Care Unit
IRC - Infrared Coagulation (hemorrhoid treatment)
IV - Intravenous
LDL - Low-Density Lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
LSD - Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
AO - Monoamine Oxidase (Inhibitors)
MAOI - Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
MR/DD - Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MS - Multiple Sclerosis
MSG - Monosodium Glutamate
NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming
NNH - Number Needed to Harm
NNT - Number Needed to Treat
NSAID -
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
OCD - Obsessive-Complusive Disorder
OD - Overdose
PICU - Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
PMS - Premenstrual Syndrome
rBGH - Recombitant Bovine Growth Hormone
REM - Rapid Eye Movement
RN - Registered Nurse
RNA - Ribonucleic Acid
or Registered Nurse Anesthetist
SEPAC - Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease
TB - Tuberculosis
TMJ - Temporomandibular Joint syndrome
TNT - Trinitrotoluene
TS - Tuberous Sclerosis
VAERS - Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System
VD - Venereal Disease
VLDL - Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
VOC - Volatile Organic Compound