Glossary — Peptide, GLP-1 & Longevity Terms

A

Amylin

A hormone released with insulin that slows digestion and helps you feel full.

ApoB

A protein found on the "bad" cholesterol particles that cause artery disease; measuring it counts how many of these harmful particles you have.

Autophagy

The body's recycling process, in which cells break down and reuse their own damaged parts.

B

Bacteriostatic water

Sterile water containing a small amount of preservative, used to dissolve powdered peptides for injection.

G

Ghrelin

A stomach hormone that stimulates hunger and also triggers growth hormone release.

GHRH

A brain hormone that tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone.

GIP

A gut hormone that helps release insulin after eating and is one of the targets of newer dual-action weight and diabetes drugs.

GLP-1 receptor agonist

A medication that mimics the natural gut hormone GLP-1 to lower blood sugar and reduce appetite.

Growth hormone secretagogue

A compound that prompts the body to release more of its own growth hormone.

H

Half-life

The time it takes for half of a drug to be cleared from the body.

HbA1c

A blood test that shows your average blood sugar over the past two to three months.

I

IGF-1

A hormone, mostly made by the liver in response to growth hormone, that drives tissue growth and repair.

Incretin

A gut hormone released when you eat that tells the body to produce insulin and helps control blood sugar.

L

Lean body mass

The weight of everything in your body except fat — muscle, bone, organs, and water.

M

MACE

A combined measure of serious heart problems — usually heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death — used to judge whether a drug helps or harms the heart.

P

Peptide

A short chain of amino acids — smaller than a protein — that the body uses as a signaling molecule.

Preclinical evidence

Findings from lab and animal studies done before a treatment is ever tested in humans.

R

Randomized controlled trial

A study that randomly assigns people to a treatment or a comparison group, making it one of the most reliable ways to test whether a treatment works.

Reconstitution

Mixing a freeze-dried powder with a sterile liquid to turn it into an injectable solution.

Research chemical

A substance sold for laboratory study only, not approved or tested as a medicine for people.

S

Subcutaneous

An injection given into the fatty layer just under the skin rather than into a vein or muscle.

T

Titration

Gradually increasing a medication dose over time to reach the target while limiting side effects.

V

VO2 max

The maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during hard exercise — a key measure of cardiovascular fitness.

W

WADA

The international body that sets the rules on banned substances in sport and publishes the yearly Prohibited List.