Hormone Journal

Glossary

Hormone-health terms, defined

Plain-language definitions for the terms you’ll hear from a clinician and read in the journals. Each entry is medically reviewed and links to the deeper articles that explore it.

105 terms
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

A

8 terms

Acne vulgaris

Also: acne

Acne vulgaris is the most common chronic skin disease worldwide, affecting up to 80% of people aged 11–30 by causing hair follicles to become blocked with sebum and dead skin cells.

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Acromegaly

Acromegaly is a rare hormonal disorder affecting roughly 3–14 per 100,000 adults, caused by excess pituitary growth hormone that widens bones and enlarges soft tissues.

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Addison's disease

Also: primary adrenal insufficiency

Addison's disease is a rare condition affecting roughly 1 in 10,000 people in which the adrenal glands permanently cannot produce enough cortisol and aldosterone.

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Adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a popular but medically unrecognized term for persistent exhaustion, brain fog, and low energy attributed to chronically stressed adrenal glands.

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Amenorrhea

Also: absent menstruation · missed period

Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual periods, affecting 3–5% of reproductive-age women, defined as no first period by age 15 or three or more missed cycles in a row.

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Androgenetic alopecia

Also: male pattern baldness · female pattern hair loss

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of progressive hair loss worldwide, affecting roughly 50% of men by age 50 and up to 40% of women by menopause.

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Andropause

Also: male menopause · late-onset hypogonadism

Andropause is the gradual age-related decline in testosterone affecting roughly 10–25% of older men, also called late-onset hypogonadism or male menopause.

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Anovulation

Anovulation is the absence of ovulation during a menstrual cycle, accounting for roughly 30% of female infertility diagnoses and a leading cause of abnormal uterine bleeding.

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C

6 terms

Circadian rhythm disorders

Also: sleep-wake disorders · CRSWDs

Circadian rhythm disorders are conditions in which the body's 24-hour internal clock is misaligned with the external environment, disrupting sleep, hormones, and metabolism.

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Comprehensive hormone panel

Also: hormone bloodwork · biomarker panel

A comprehensive hormone panel is a blood (or urine) test measuring multiple hormones at once to diagnose imbalances affecting energy, fertility, metabolism, and mood.

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Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Also: CAH

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of inherited enzyme deficiencies that prevent normal cortisol production, causing androgen excess that affects development from birth onward.

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Cortisol

Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands, with chronically elevated levels linked to heart disease, weight gain, and immune dysfunction.

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Cortisol dysregulation

Also: HPA-axis dysfunction

Cortisol dysregulation is a disruption in the normal production or daily rhythm of cortisol—the body's primary stress hormone—affecting energy, mood, metabolism, immune function, and sleep.

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Cushing's syndrome

Also: hypercortisolism

Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged cortisol excess, affecting roughly 40–70 people per million and women about three times as often as men.

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D

10 terms

Diabetes insipidus

Also: DI · arginine vasopressin deficiency

Diabetes insipidus is a rare disorder of water regulation in which vasopressin deficiency or resistance causes the kidneys to produce 3–20 litres of dilute urine daily.

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Diabetic amyotrophy

Also: diabetic lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathy

Diabetic amyotrophy is a rare diabetic nerve complication causing sudden, severe hip and thigh pain followed by progressive proximal muscle weakness, most often in people with type 2 diabetes in their 50s–60s.

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Diabetic gastroparesis

Also: delayed gastric emptying

Diabetic gastroparesis is a diabetes complication affecting 5–10% of people with diabetes, in which nerve damage slows stomach emptying and destabilizes blood sugar control.

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Diabetic ketoacidosis

Also: DKA

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening diabetes complication in which severe insulin deficiency causes toxic ketone buildup in the blood, most often in type 1 diabetes.

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Diabetic kidney disease

Also: diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, affecting 20–40% of people with diabetes and accounting for roughly 40–50% of all dialysis cases.

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Diabetic macular edema

Also: DME

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a vision-threatening complication of diabetes affecting roughly 10% of people with the disease, in which fluid leaks from damaged retinal vessels into the macula, blurring central vision.

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Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working-age adults, affecting roughly 1 in 3 people with diabetes by damaging retinal blood vessels.

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Diabulimia

Also: ED-DMT1

Diabulimia (ED-DMT1) is a dangerous eating disorder in type 1 diabetes where insulin is deliberately restricted to cause weight loss, affecting an estimated 30–40% of young women with T1D.

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Dyslipidemia

Also: high cholesterol · lipid disorder

Dyslipidemia is an abnormal level of blood lipids — elevated LDL, low HDL, or high triglycerides — affecting roughly 50% of Canadian adults and a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

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Dyspareunia

Also: painful intercourse · painful sex

Dyspareunia is persistent or recurrent genital pain during or after sex, affecting an estimated 10–20% of women at some point in their lives.

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H

14 terms

Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Also: chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis · Hashimoto's disease

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient countries, affecting roughly 5% of adults and women 7–10× more often than men.

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Heart palpitations (perimenopausal)

Perimenopausal heart palpitations are sensations of a racing, fluttering, or skipped heartbeat affecting 20–54% of women during the menopause transition.

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Hormonal acne

Hormonal acne is androgen-driven acne vulgaris affecting up to 50% of adult women, characterized by deep jawline and chin breakouts tied to hormone fluctuations.

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Hormonal hair loss

Also: female pattern hair loss · androgenic alopecia

Hormonal hair loss (androgenic alopecia) affects up to 50% of women by age 50, causing diffuse crown thinning driven by androgen sensitivity and genetic predisposition.

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Hormone replacement therapy

Also: HRT · menopausal hormone therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment that replaces estrogen — and often progestogen — lost at menopause, used by roughly 1 in 8 Canadian women in their 50s.

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Hot flashes

Also: vasomotor symptoms · hot flushes

Hot flashes are sudden waves of intense body heat affecting more than 80% of people during menopause, often lasting 1–5 minutes and persisting for a median of 7 years.

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Human chorionic gonadotropin

Also: hCG · Pregnyl

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a placental hormone that mimics LH, used clinically for ovulation induction, male hypogonadism, and fertility preservation during testosterone therapy.

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Hyperandrogenism

Hyperandrogenism is excess androgen activity in women — affecting up to 10% of reproductive-age females — causing hirsutism, acne, hair loss, and irregular periods.

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Hyperhidrosis

Also: excessive sweating

Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating beyond what the body needs for temperature regulation, affecting an estimated 3–5% of the population and often linked to hormonal or autonomic nervous system causes.

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Hyperkalemia

Also: high potassium

Hyperkalemia is a blood potassium level above 5.0 mmol/L that can cause life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, most often triggered by kidney disease, aldosterone deficiency, or certain medications.

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Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition where excess melanin causes patches of skin to appear darker than surrounding tissue, often triggered by hormonal changes, UV exposure, or inflammation.

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Hyperthyroidism

Also: overactive thyroid · Graves' disease

Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid condition affecting roughly 1–2% of the population, in which excess T3 and T4 hormones accelerate metabolism, causing rapid heartbeat, weight loss, and anxiety.

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Hypoglycemia

Also: low blood sugar

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a condition where blood glucose falls below 3.9 mmol/L, causing symptoms from shakiness to seizure; it affects 4 in 5 people with type 1 diabetes.

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Hypothyroidism

Also: underactive thyroid · Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid condition affecting roughly 2–3% of the general population and up to 5% of adults over 60, with women affected 8–10 times more often than men.

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M

7 terms

Male infertility

Male infertility is the inability to cause pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sex, contributing to roughly 50% of all infertility cases worldwide.

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Melasma

Also: chloasma · mask of pregnancy

Melasma is a common hormonal pigmentation disorder causing symmetrical brown or grey-brown facial patches, affecting roughly 90% women and up to 50–70% of pregnant people.

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Menopause

Menopause is the permanent end of menstruation, confirmed after 12 consecutive months without a period, occurring at a median age of 51 in North America.

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Menorrhagia

Also: heavy menstrual bleeding · HMB

Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding) is abnormally heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding affecting 20–30% of women of reproductive age and a leading cause of iron deficiency anaemia.

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Metabolic health

Metabolic health is the state in which five key biomarkers—blood glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference—all sit within normal ranges without medication, a condition met by only about 12% of American adults and an estimated 20% of Canadians.

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Metabolic syndrome

Also: syndrome X · insulin resistance syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of five co-occurring conditions — abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol — affecting an estimated 19–25% of Canadian adults and roughly doubling cardiovascular disease risk.

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Minoxidil

Also: Rogaine

Minoxidil is a topical (and oral) hair-loss treatment that slows shedding and stimulates regrowth in roughly 60% of users after 6–12 months of consistent use.

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P

11 terms

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the hormonal transition leading to menopause, typically starting in the mid-40s, lasting 4–8 years on average, and marked by erratic estrogen and progesterone levels.

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Peripartum cardiomyopathy

Also: PPCM

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare, potentially life-threatening form of heart failure affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 4,000 pregnancies, arising in the final month of pregnancy or within five months of delivery.

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Polycystic ovary syndrome

Also: PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal condition in women of reproductive age, affecting 8–13% globally and causing irregular periods, androgen excess, and metabolic dysfunction.

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Postmenopause

Postmenopause is the life stage beginning 12 months after the final menstrual period and lasting for the rest of a woman's life, defined by persistently low estrogen and progesterone.

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Postpartum depression

Also: PPD · perinatal depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a clinical mood disorder affecting roughly 1 in 7 new parents after childbirth, driven partly by the sharp hormonal drop that follows delivery.

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Postpartum psychosis

Also: puerperal psychosis

Postpartum psychosis is a rare psychiatric emergency affecting 1–2 in 1,000 births, with onset typically within days of delivery, requiring immediate hospitalization.

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Prader-Willi syndrome

Also: PWS

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic condition affecting ~1 in 15,000 births, causing uncontrollable hunger, hormonal deficiencies, and intellectual disability.

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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Also: PMDD

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a DSM-5 depressive disorder affecting 3–8% of people with cycles, causing debilitating luteal-phase mood symptoms that resolve within days of menstruation starting.

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Premenstrual syndrome

Also: PMS

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a recurrent cluster of physical and emotional symptoms affecting up to 75–80% of menstruating women in the luteal phase, resolving within days of menstruation starting.

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Progesterone

Progesterone is a steroid hormone produced mainly by the ovaries after ovulation, essential for regulating the menstrual cycle, supporting pregnancy, and balancing estrogen in hormone therapy.

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Progesterone deficiency

Also: low progesterone · luteal phase defect

Progesterone deficiency is a hormonal state in which the body produces insufficient progesterone, causing irregular periods, heavy bleeding, premenstrual symptoms, and difficulty conceiving or maintaining pregnancy.

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T

12 terms

Telogen effluvium

Also: TE · stress-related hair shedding

Telogen effluvium is a common, usually temporary form of diffuse hair shedding triggered by physical or emotional stress, causing follicles to prematurely enter the resting phase and shed 2–3 months later.

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Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary androgen hormone in humans, produced mainly in the testes and adrenal glands, with levels declining roughly 1% per year after age 30.

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Testosterone replacement therapy

Also: TRT

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a medical treatment for hypogonadism that restores testosterone to normal levels, affecting roughly 2–4% of adult men.

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Thyroid

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that produces T3 and T4 hormones, regulating metabolism in nearly every cell; thyroid disorders affect roughly 1 in 10 Canadians.

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Thyroid cancer

Also: thyroid carcinoma

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, with papillary thyroid carcinoma accounting for ~85% of cases and 10-year survival rates above 95% for well-differentiated types.

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Thyroid eye disease

Also: TED · Graves' ophthalmopathy

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune orbital condition affecting 25–50% of people with Graves' disease, causing eye protrusion, double vision, and, in severe cases, vision loss.

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Thyroid nodules

Thyroid nodules are discrete lumps within the thyroid gland found in up to 76% of adults on ultrasound; roughly 90–95% are benign, but evaluation is needed to exclude the small fraction that are malignant.

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Triple X syndrome

Also: trisomy X · 47,XXX

Triple X syndrome is a chromosomal condition affecting roughly 1 in 1,000 females, in which three X chromosomes are present instead of two, often causing tall stature, language delays, and learning differences.

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TSH, T3, and T4

Also: thyroid panel · thyroid stimulating hormone

TSH, T3, and T4 are the three core thyroid blood tests used to diagnose hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and related conditions, with TSH being the single most sensitive first-line marker.

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Turner syndrome

Also: 45,X · monosomy X

Turner syndrome is a chromosomal condition affecting roughly 1 in 2,000 female births in which one X chromosome is missing or structurally abnormal, causing short stature, ovarian failure, and lifelong cardiovascular risk.

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Type 1 diabetes

Also: T1D · insulin-dependent diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, affecting ~300,000 Canadians and requiring lifelong insulin therapy for survival.

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Type 2 diabetes

Also: T2D · adult-onset diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition affecting roughly 3 million Canadians, in which insulin resistance and progressive beta cell failure cause persistently elevated blood glucose.

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