R

RAST is an abbreviation for RadioAllergoSorbent Test, a trademark of Pharmacia Diagnostics, which originated the test. RAST is a laboratory test used to detect IgE antibodies to specific allergens (2). CAP-RAST is a specific type of RAST.
RAST is a allergy test carried out on a sample of blood. The aim with RAST, as with skin tests, is to check for allergic sensitivity to specific antigens. In the test, the sample of blood is mixed with substances known to trigger allergies. The test measures the level of IgE allergy antibodies to specific antigens in the blood which are present if there is a allergic reaction

"A sample derived by selecting sampling units (for example, individual patients) such that each unit has an independent and fixed chance of selection. Whether a given unit is selected is determined by chance (for example, by a table of randomly ordered numbers)."

Source: JAMA Instructions for authors. JAMA. 1996;275(1):8. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/393429.

“an experiment in which individuals are randomly allocated to receive or not receive an experimental diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, or palliative procedure and then followed up to determine the effect of the intervention”.

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

A subjective rating using a numerical scale that expresses the perceived difficulty of a given exercise task.

A raw food diet is a diet of uncooked foods. Typically this is a vegan diet, although in a small proportion of cases animal products such as raw meat or fish are included.

Randomized control trial

A systematic error that occurs when participants are unable to remember previous events or experiences accurately or omit details. As well, the accuracy and number of recollections may be influenced by subsequent events and experiences.

Source: Catalogue of Bias Collaboration, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Mahtani K. Recall bias. In: Catalogue Of Bias 2017.

For an individual, the recommended intake is one that is almost certain to meet or exceed their individual requirement. The RDA and the AI are both recommended intakes for individuals.

Recommended Nutrient Intakes

The most advanced form of heart failure which occurs when a heart failure patient remains symptomatic despite optimal medical therapies.

Passage of refluxed gastric contents into the oral pharynx.

"Ratio of the risk of an event among an exposed population to the risk among the unexposed."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

"The proportional reduction in rates of harmful outcomes between experimental and control participants. It is calculated by dividing the rate of harmful outcome in the control group (CER) minus the rate of harmful outcome in the experimental group (EER) by the rate of harmful outcome in the control group [(CER–EER)/CER]. Used with a beneficial exposure or intervention."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

Inflammatory mediators such as histamine and degradative enzymes stored within the intracellular granules of mast cells are released into the surrounding tissues, resulting in symptoms of allergy after degranulation.

Reliability refers to the extent to which a measure or tool obtains similar results over repeated trials/ uses (i.e. the trustworthiness). There are several types of reliability: Test-retest Reliability - whether the self-administered measure obtains similar results when repeated by the same individuals over time. Inter-rater Reliability - whether the measure obtains similar results when rated or scored by different people. Intra-rater Reliability - whether the measure obtains similar results when rated or scored by the same person over time.

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Nov 4 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary
Last JM. A dictionary of epidemiology. 4th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.

"1. “inter-observer bias: reflected in differences in the marginal distributions of the response variable for each of the observers
2. observer disagreement: indicated by how observers classify individual subjects into the same category on the measurement scale.

K Strength of agreement
0.01 Poor
0.00 - 0.20 Slight
0.21 – 0.40 Fair
0.41 – 0.60 Moderate
0.61 – 0.80 Substantial
0.81 – 1.00 Almost perfect"

Source: Everitt BS. Statistical methods for medical investigations. 2nd ed. New York: Halsted Press; 1994.

Renal solute load (RSL) refers to all solutes of endogenous or dietary origin that require excretion by the kidneys

"A class of activities designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge, consisting of theories, principles, or relationships, or accumulation of information on which these are based, that can be corroborated by acceptable scientific methods of observation, inference, and/or experiment."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

the effect that remains after one has attempted to statistically control variables that cannot be measured perfectly. These unknown variables could obscure or exaggerate existing associations, and could significantly change conclusions made on the basis of epidemiological research

Consists of activities that use muscular strength to move a weight or work against a resistant load. Examples include weight lifting and exercises using weight machines.

Factors or conditions that take place during the process of responding to surveys that affect the way responses are provided, leading to a nonrandom deviation of answers from their true value.

Resting metabolic rate extrapolated to 24 hours to be more meaningful. (see resting metabolic rate).

Energy expenditure under resting conditions.

Retinol, the dietary form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. It belongs to the family of chemical compounds known as retinoids. Retinol is ingested in a precursor form; animal sources (milk and eggs) contain retinyl esters, whereas plants (carrots, spinach) contain carotenoids. Tissue cells convert these precursors to retinol, and then to either retinal or retinoic acid.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin A are listed as Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) to account for the different activities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids. Sometimes RDAs are also listed in International Units (IU) because food and some supplement labels list vitamin A content in International Units (1 RAE in micrograms = 3.3 IU).

"A summary of the literature on a topic; tend to be descriptive. The identification of studies and their interpretation is determined by the author(s) and may be biased."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

An immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reaction in the nose and conjunctiva. Most cases are IgE-mediated.

a self-report form that has eight questions, each answered with a five-point Likert-type scale that measures the patient’s perceived duration, frequency and distress from nausea, vomiting and retching

Rickets is a childhood disease where growing bone matrix fails to mineralize, which can lead to skeletal deformities, bone pain and delayed motor development.

An organized framework for evaluating scientific information, which 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 dietary nutrient). It includes the development of both qualitative and quantitative expressions of risk. The process of risk assessment can be divided into four major steps; hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.

The 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 to risk assessment results, risk management 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 cost of this control.

A chronic inflammatory disorder consisting of vascular and follicular dilation primarily of the skin of the nose, forehead and cheeks. It is characterized by erythema (redness due to capillary dilation), hyperplasia of sebaceous glands, papules and pustules, and telangiectasia (dilation of the vessels).

The most common form of gastric by-pass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. In this procedure the stomach is made smaller by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach with surgical staples or a plastic band. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum).

"A period before a trial is commenced when no treatment is given. The data from this stage of a trial are only occasionally of value but can serve a valuable role in screening out ineligible or non-compliant participants, in ensuring that participants are in a stable condition, and in providing baseline observations. A run-in period is sometimes called a washout period if treatments that participants were using before entering the trial are discontinued."

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Aug 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary.