Human health and medicine

Astasamskara of parada murcchana

Murcchana (मूर्छना) is the third of the eight Astasamskara processing steps of Parada (mercury) in Rasashastra, grinding mercury with drugs until it loses its liquid form; Sagandha (with sulphur) and Nirgandha types differ in permitted duration of use.

Astavarga kvatha curna

Astavarga kvatha curna (Aṣṭavarga kvātha cūrṇa), an eight-herb Ayurvedic coarse-powder decoction formula from Sahasrayoga, AFI000085, dose 48 g, used for vata roga in Bangladesh; ingredients include Sida cordifolia, Vitex negundo, and garlic.

Asteatotic eczema

Asteatotic eczema (eczéma craquelé, xerotic eczema, winter itch) is a dry-skin eczema of older adults with crazy-paving fissuring, mainly on the shins, flaring in winter and treated with emollients and topical steroids.

Astegolimab

Astegolimab (MSTT1041A, RG6149, AMG 282) is a fully human anti-ST2 IgG2 monoclonal antibody blocking IL-33 signaling, developed by Roche/Genentech for COPD and studied in severe asthma, atopic dermatitis, and COVID-19 pneumonia.

Asterixis

Asterixis (flapping tremor, liver flap) is negative myoclonus: brief lapses of posture from sudden muscle relaxation, first described by Adams and Foley in 1949, seen mainly in toxic-metabolic encephalopathies such as hepatic encephalopathy.

Asthisandhanaka lepa

Asthisandhanaka lepa (Asthi Sandhanak Lep), an Ayurvedic external herbal paste listed as AFI000570, applied for fractures, dislocations, pain, and inflammation; ingredients include Aloe vera, Boswellia serrata, Commiphora myrrha, and Quercus infectoria.

Asthma

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease causing wheeze, breathlessness, and variable airflow limitation, affects an estimated 363 million people; managed with ICS-containing inhalers per GINA guidelines and biologics for severe cases.

Sep 29, 2026

Asthma Control Test

The Asthma Control Test is a five-item patient questionnaire scoring asthma control over the past four weeks, from 5 to 25, with 19 or less indicating poor control.

Asthmatic pulmonary eosinophilia

Asthmatic pulmonary eosinophilia, also called eosinophilic asthma (ICD-11 CB02.0), is pulmonary eosinophilia associated with asthma, classically fungal hypersensitivity to Aspergillus, marked by wheeze, migratory infiltrates, and blood and sputum eosinophilia.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a refractive error in which light focuses at two perpendicular lines in the eye, causing blur. Most common refractive error, about 40% adult prevalence; corrected with cylindrical glasses, toric contact lenses, or surgery.

Astley-Kendall dysplasia

Astley-Kendall dysplasia (ORPHA:85175) is an ultra-rare, lethal autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia with short-limbed dwarfism, osteogenesis imperfecta, and stippled cartilage calcification; fewer than ten cases reported, gene unknown, no trials.

Astodrimer

Astodrimer (SPL7013, VivaGel) is a polyanionic lysine dendrimer antiviral and antibacterial drug by Starpharma, approved for bacterial vaginosis in Europe, Australia, and Asia, and tested as a COVID-19 nasal spray.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company formed 6 April 1999 by the Astra AB and Zeneca merger, headquartered in Cambridge, UK; 2025 revenue $58.7 billion, key drugs Farxiga, Tagrisso, Imfinzi, $80 billion 2030 ambition.

Astringent

Astringent: a substance that contracts skin or mucous membranes by precipitating surface proteins (Latin adstringere). Includes aluminum salts like Burow's solution, tannins, and the trigeminal oral sensation astringency.

Astroblastoma

Astroblastoma, MN1-altered: rare circumscribed glial brain tumor of children and young adults, cerebral hemispheres, perivascular pseudorosettes, MN1 fusions, defined in WHO CNS5 2021.

Astrocyte

Astrocyte: star-shaped glial cell of the CNS, named by Lenhossek in 1891; maintains brain homeostasis by clearing 80% of extracellular glutamate, feeding neurons glutamine, and reacting in disease.

Astrocytoma

Astrocytoma is a glioma that forms in star-shaped astrocyte cells of the brain and spinal cord, graded from slow-growing pilocytic tumors in children to fast-spreading glioblastoma in adults.

Astrocytoma grade 2

Astrocytoma grade 2 (diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-mutant, CNS WHO grade 2) is a slow-growing infiltrative brain glioma defined by IDH1/2 mutation, frequent ATRX/TP53 changes, no 1p/19q codeletion, and few mitoses; treated with surgery, deferred or early radiotherapy, temozolomide, or vorasidenib.

Astrocytoma grade 3

Astrocytoma grade 3 (astrocytoma, IDH-mutant, CNS WHO grade 3; formerly anaplastic astrocytoma) is an infiltrative IDH-mutant brain tumor without 1p/19q codeletion, treated with radiotherapy plus adjuvant temozolomide, median survival about 8 years.

Astuprotimut-r

Astuprotimut-r (GSK1572932A, recombinant MAGE-A3 ASCI) is GSK's MAGE-A3 protein cancer vaccine with AS15 adjuvant; its phase III MAGRIT and DERMA trials failed to improve disease-free survival.

Asunaprevir

Asunaprevir (BMS-650032, Sunvepra) is a Bristol-Myers Squibb HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor for chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C, approved in Japan July 2014 for use with daclatasvir as the first interferon-free all-oral regimen.

Asunercept

Asunercept, also known as APG101, CAN008, or Apocept, is an investigational human fusion protein that blocks CD95L signaling, developed chiefly to treat glioblastoma and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Asvagandha taila

Asvagandha taila (Aśvagandhātaila) is a classical Ayurvedic medicated oil of Withania somnifera root in sesame oil, listed in AFI Part II 8:2, used in abhyanga massage, basti, and nasya for vata disorders, distinct from oral ashwagandha supplements.

Asvagandhadi curna

Asvagandhadi curna (Ashwagandhadi Churna) is a classical Ayurvedic powdered formulation from Sahasrayoga, led by Withania somnifera root with Trikatu spices, Ela, Vidanga, Nagkeshara, and sugar, used for vata disorders and studied in small hypertension and menopause trials.

Asvagandhadi lehya

Asvagandhadi lehya (Aśvagandhādi Lehya), also Ashwagandhadi lehyam, is a classical Ayurvedic semisolid electuary of ashwagandha root with sugar, ghee, and honey; official dose 6-12 g, used as balya tonic and rasayana.

Asvagandhadya taila

Asvagandhadya taila (Ashwagandhadi Taila, Aśvagandhā taila) is a classical Ayurvedic medicated oil with Withania somnifera as main ingredient, used for Vata disorders, muscular atrophy, and as a Nasya oil.

Asvagandhadyarista

Asvagandhadyarista (Aśvagandhādyariṣṭa, Ashwagandharishta) is a classical Ayurvedic fermented liquid formulation led by Withania somnifera root, official in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, with 5-10% self-generated alcohol, dosed 15-30 ml twice daily.

Asvakancuki Rasa

Asvakancuki Rasa (Aśvakaṅcukī rasa, Ashwakanchuki Rasa), an official Ayurvedic herbo-mineral Rasa Yoga tablet (AFI 20:2, from Rasayogasagara), 125 mg dose, containing purified mercury, sulphur, borax, aconite, and croton, used for cough, asthma, and fever.

Asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction

Asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction (asymmetric IUGR/FGR): fetal growth restriction with reduced abdominal circumference relative to head circumference, classically from placental insufficiency with brain-sparing blood redistribution, monitored by Doppler.