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Glossary and Acronyms
ACE
Angiotensin converting enzyme
Adverse effect
Any significant alteration in the structure or function of the human organism, or any impairment of a physiologically important function, that could lead to an adverse health effect
AI
Adequate Intake; a category of Dietary Reference Intakes; an amount of a nutrient that is a recommended intake for a life stage or gender group for which it is established and is based on experimentally derived intake levels or approximations of observed mean nutrient intakes by a group (or groups) of healthy people
ANP
Atrial natriuretic peptide
ARB
Angiotensin II receptor blocker
BIA
Bioelectric impedance analysis
CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
CF
Cystic fibrosis
CFTR
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulatory gene
CHD
Coronary heart disease
CID
Cold-induced diuresis
CSFII
Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals; a survey conducted periodically by the Agri-
cultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
CVD
Cardiovascular disease; includes heart disease and stroke
DASH Diet
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and reduced in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol
DASH-Sodium Trial
A clinical trial that tested the effects on blood pressure of three different sodium levels in two distinct diets
DASH Trial
A clinical trial that tested the effects of different dietary patterns on blood pressure
Dehydration
The process of decreasing total body water; lower than normal total body water (euhydration) (see hypohydration)
DEXA
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
Dose-response assessment
Second step in a risk assessment in which the relationship between nutrient intake and an adverse effect (in terms of incidence or severity of the effect) is determined
DRI
Dietary Reference Intakes
EAR
Estimated Average Requirement; a category of Dietary Reference Intakes; an amount of a nutrient that is estimated to meet the requirement, as defined by the specified indicator or criterion of adequacy, of half of the apparently healthy individuals in the life stage or gender group for which it is established
ECF
Extracellular fluid
ECG
Electrocardiogram
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Euhydration
Normal hydration
FDA
Food and Drug Administration; an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
FFM
Fat-free mass
FNB
Food and Nutrition Board; a division of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Function
Role played by a nutrient in growth, development, and maturation
GFR
Glomerular filtration rate
Hazard identification
First step in a risk assessment, which is concerned with the collection, organization, and evaluation of all information pertaining to the toxic properties of a nutrient
Health Canada
The federal department in Canada responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadian people
HDL
High-density lipoprotein
Hyperhydration
Higher than normal total body water (euhydration)
Hyperkalemia
Serum potassium concentration > 5.0 mEq/L or mmol/L
Hypernatremia
Serum sodium concentration > 145 mEq/L or mmol/L
Hypertension
Systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg
Hypohydration
Lower than normal total body water (euhydration) (see dehydration)
Hypokalemia
Serum potassium concentration < 3.5 mEq/L or mmol/L
Hyponatremia
Serum sodium concentration < 135 mEq/L or mmol/L
ICF
Intracellular fluid
IOM
Institute of Medicine
LDL
Low-density lipoprotein
LOAEL
Lowest-observed-adverse-effect level; the lowest intake (or experimental dose) of a nutrient at which an adverse effect has been identified
MAP
Mean arterial pressure; diastolic pressure times 2 plus systolic pressure over 3; the average pressure during a cardiac cycle
MCL
Maximum contaminant level; a level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental contaminants
MVP
Mitrial valve prolapse
NFCS
Nationwide Food Consumption Survey; a food consumption survey conducted through 1965 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
NHANES
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; a survey conducted periodically by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NOAEL
No-observed-adverse-effect level; the highest intake (or experimental dose) of a nutrient at which no adverse effect has been observed
NRC
National Research Council
PAPS
3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate
Psychogenic polydipsia
The excessive consumption of fluid, especially water, among chronic psychiatric patients, particularly those with schizophrenia
RDA
Recommended Dietary Allowance; a category of Dietary Reference Intakes; an amount of a nutrient that is the recommended average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in the particular life stage and gender group for which it is established; it is derived from the Estimated Average Requirement
Rhabdomyolysis
Injury to skeletal muscle tissue that results in the destruction of skeletal muscle cells and allows for the escape of cellular contents into the extracellular fluid, leading to renal failure and compartment syndromes
Risk assessment
The organized framework for evaluating scientific information that has as its objective a characterization of the nature and likelihood of harm resulting from excess human exposure to an environmental agent (in this case, a nutrient); it includes the development of both qualitative and quantitative expressions of risk
Risk characterization
The final step in a risk assessment, which summarizes the conclusions from steps 1 through 3 of the assessment (hazard identification, dose
response, and estimate of exposure) and evaluates the risk; this step also includes a characterization of the degree of scientific confidence that can be placed in the Tolerable Upper Intake Level
Risk management
Process by which risk assessment results are integrated with other information to make decisions about the need for, method of, and extent of risk reduction; in addition, it considers such issues as the public health significance of the risk, the technical feasibility of achieving various degrees of risk control, and the economic and social costs of this control
Salt sensitivity
The extent of blood pressure change in response to a reduction in salt intake; the term “salt-sensitive blood pressure” applies to those individuals or subgroups who experience the greatest reduction in blood pressure from a given reduction in salt intake
SD
Standard deviation
SE
Standard error
SEM
Standard error of the mean
SHRSP
Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (in-bred strain of rats)
TBW
Total body water
TOHPII
Trials of Hypertension Prevention-Phase II: a clinical trial that tested the effects of sodium reduction and weight loss, alone or combined, as a means to prevent hypertension
Total water
Includes drinking water, water in beverages, and water that is part of food
UF
Uncertainty factor; the number by which the NOAEL (or LOAEL) is divided to obtain the Tolerable Upper Intake Level; the size of the UF varies depending on the confidence in the data and the nature of the adverse effect
UL
Tolerable Upper Intake Level; a category of Dietary Reference Intakes; the amount of a nutrient that is the highest level of daily intake likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects for al-