

![]() |
Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. See also: Gestational diabetes; Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes; Metabolic syndrome.
|
|
Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Those with diabetes are at high risk for a number of complications. See also: Diabetes; Gestational diabetes; Metabolic syndrome; Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes.
|
|
|
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition that occurs during pregnancy . Like other forms of diabetes, GDM involves a defect in the way the body processes and uses sugars (glucose) in the diet. Gestational diabetes, however, has a number ...
|
|
|
Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin or when cells stop responding to the insulin that is produced, so that glucose in the blood cannot be absorbed into the cells of the body. Symptoms include fr...
|
|
|
Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder resulting from defects in insulin action, insulin production, or both. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps the body use and store glucose produced during the digestion of food. Charac...
|
|
|
Diabetes mellitus is a condition that occurs when either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body's cells stop responding to the insulin that is produced. In either case, glucose in the blood cannot be absorbed or used by the cells...
|
|
Gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs during pregnancy . Like other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes involves a defect in the way the body processes and uses sugars (glucose) in the diet. Gestational diabetes, however, has a numbe...
|
|
Diabetes is the Greek term for "passing through," a phrase used to describe multiple diseases characterized by excessive urination. There are multiple forms of diabetes. The most frequently described is diabetes mellitus, a chronic disorder involv...
|
|
|
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which the body is not able to correctly process glucose for cell energy due to either an insufficient amount of the hormone insulin or a physical resistance to the insulin the body does produce. Without pr...
|
|
Diabetes mellitus describes a group of diseases in which there is an elevated level of the sugar glucose, the body's main source of energy for cellular functions, in the blood. The level of glucose, as well as other "fuel" molecules, is increased ...
|
|
A serious disorder caused by an absence of or insufficient amount of insulin in the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in varying amounts, depending on the concentration of glucose (sugar). When the pancreas is unable to se...
|
|
|
Pregnancy is the condition of having a developing embryo or fetus in the body. The union of an egg (ovum) with sperm is called fertilization, or conception, and it is this union that produces the embryo. Pregnancy includes the period from concepti...
|
![]() |
Adolescent pregnancy is pregnancy in girls age 19 or younger.
|
|
A great deal of public health resources is spent on pregnancy. It is clear that prenatal and neonatal health play a large role in determining the health of a population, and in fact, pregnancy outcomes are often used as an indicator of a nation's ...
|
![]() |
A pregnancy test measures a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG. HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception. See also: HCG - urine; HCG - serum ...
|
|
|
Nutrition during the preconception period, as well as throughout a pregnancy, has a major impact on pregnancy outcome. Among prepregnancy considerations, the prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), folic acid status, and socioeconomic status are the m...
|
|
Prior to modern medicine, many mothers and their babies did not survive pregnancy and the birth process. Today, good prenatal care can significantly improve the quality of the pregnancy and the outcome for the infant and mother. Good prenatal care...
|
|
Menopause represents the end of menstruation . While technically it refers to the final menstrual period, it is not an abrupt event, but a gradual process. Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural life-stage transition. How...
|
![]() |
Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.
|
|
Menopause represents the end of menstruation. While technically it refers to the final period, it is not an abrupt event, but a gradual process. Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural life-stage transition. However, women...
|
|
Medically, menopause is the cessation of menstruation and signifies the inability to bear children. It is determined as one year from the last menstrual cycle. Menopause is a natural life-stage transition. Medical events, like surgery or chemother...
|
|
|
Young girls start menstruating between the ages of eleven and thirteen, when their reproductive systems reach maturity. Women have regular menstrual cycles every twenty-eight days until about the age of fifty, at which time menstruation becomes ir...
|
|
In populations, blood pressures fit a normal distribution, but the attendant risks of heart disease and stroke increase curvilinearly with increasing levels of blood pressure, without any obvious breakpoint ( Fig. 63-1 ). Thus, the separation of normal from high blood pressure is arbitrary, and the definition of hypertension has been a moving target.
|
|
|
Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. Like air in a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity—and just as too much air pressure can cause damage to a balloon, too muc...
|
![]() |
Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as two numbers. For example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg. The top number is your systoli...
|
|
The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of hypertension (HTN) and was adapted from materials published by the NHLBI.
|
|
|
Also known as high blood pressure, a condition in which too much force is exerted by the blood as it travels through the body's arteries. There are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary. Primary, or essential, hypertension is caused by ...
|
|
Hypertension is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke, leading causes of morbidity and mortality in North America. Concern has been raised that there is inadequate outpatient detection, evaluation, and treatment of hypertension, and that this is resulting in increased hospital admissions with complications of untreated hypertension: heart failure, and end-stage renal disease .
|
|
|
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's ...
|
|
The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 190...
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues.
|
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues.
|
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure . Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
|
|
Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal contagious disease that can affect almost any part of the body but is mainly an infection of the lungs . It is caused by a bacterial microorganism: the tubercle bacillus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Alth...
|
|
|
Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal contagious disease that can affect almost any part of the body but is mainly an infection of the lungs. It is caused by a bacterial microorganism, the tubercle bacillus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Altho...
|
|
|
Tuberculosis is a chronic, infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs.
|
|
|
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious and potentially fatal disease that can affect almost any part of the body but manifests mainly as an infection of the lungs. It is caused by a bacterial microorganism, the tubercle bacillus or Mycobacterium tuberc...
|
|
|
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatmen...
|
|
Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than is healthy or desirable. Adults with a body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight...
|
|
|
Obesity is the condition of having an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in a body weight more than 20% above the average for height, age, sex, and body type, and in elevated risk of disability, illness, and death.
|
|
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy is surgery to help with weight loss. The surgeon removes a large portion of your stomach. The smaller stomach limits the amount of food you can eat by making you feel full after eating small amounts of food. See also: G...
|
|
|
Obesity , defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized nations, and it is rapidly becoming one in developing nations. As countries transition to westernized lifestyles, obesity tends t...
|
|
|
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.
|
|
|
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death .
|
|
Term describing a condition where the ratio of body fat to total body mass is higher than accepted norms. Obesity is a relative term used to describe the condition where the ratio of body fat, which is measurable, to total body mass is higher than...
|
|
|
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20 percent or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and t...
|
|
|
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to a compilation of over 150 symptoms that occur between ovulation and the onset of menstruation . The symptoms include both physical symptoms, such as breast tenderness, back pain , abdominal cramps, headache , ...
|
![]() |
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to a wide range of physical or emotional symptoms that typically occur about 5 to 11 days before a woman starts her monthly menstrual cycle. The symptoms usually stop when menstruation begins, or shortly thereaft...
|
|
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to symptoms that occur between ovulation and the onset of menstruation . The symptoms include both physical symptoms, such as breast tenderness, back pain , abdominal cramps, headache , and changes in appetite, a...
|
|
|
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterized by emotional and physical symptoms that can be troubling and cause moderate discomfort for women the week or two before the onset of their menstrual cycle. PMS is estimated to affect up to 40 percent of...
|
|
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to symptoms that occur between ovulation and the onset of menstruation. The symptoms include both physical symptoms, such as breast tenderness, back pain , abdominal cramps, headache , and changes in appetite, as...
|
|
Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which antibody-producing plasma cells grow in an uncontrolled and invasive (malignant) manner.
|
![]() |
Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow.
|
|
Cancer that arises in the bone marrow and involves plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that produces proteins called immunoglobulins. Kate Kretschmann
|
|
Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which antibodyproducing plasma cells grow in an uncontrolled and invasive (malignant) manner.
|
|
|
Hypothyroidism, or a condition of insufficient thyroid hormone in the body, develops when the thyroid gland fails to produce or secrete as much thyroxine (T 4 ) and triiodothyronine (T 3 ) as the body needs. Because T 4 regulates such essential fu...
|
![]() |
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. See also: Chronic thryoiditis (Hashimoto's disease; Subacute thyroiditis; Silent thyroiditis; Neonatal hypothyroidism.
|
|
Hypothyroidism is the condition that reflects decreased concentrations of thyroid hormones, due to any cause. The resulting hypometabolic state causes decreased heat production and generally slows many of the bodies' processes. Its prevalence is 1...
|
|
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, develops when the thyroid gland fails to produce or secrete as much thyroxine (T 4 ) and triiodothyonine (T 3 ) as the body needs. Because these thyroid hormones regulate such essential functions as heart ra...
|
|
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, develops when the thyroid gland fails to produce or secrete as much thyroxine (T 4 ) as the body needs. Because T 4 regulates such essential functions as heart rate, digestion, physical growth, and mental de...
|
|
|
Acromegaly is a rare condition caused by abnormally high amounts of human growth hormone (HGH). An organ in the brain known as the pituitary gland, normally secretes this growth hormone. Normal amounts of HGH are needed for normal growth and physi...
|
![]() |
Acromegaly is a chronic metabolic disorder in which there is too much growth hormone and the body tissues gradually enlarge.
|
|
Acromegaly is a rare condition caused by abnormally high amounts of human growth hormone (HGH). An organ in the brain known as the pituitary gland, normally secretes this growth hormone. Normal amounts of HGH are needed for normal growth and physi...
|
|
The dermatophytes are molds that can invade the stratum corneum of the skin or other keratinized tissues derived from epidermis, such as hair and nails. They may cause infections (dermatophytoses) at most skin sites, although the feet, groin, scalp, and nails are most commonly affected. 1 The dermatophytes are among the earliest microorganisms that were found to cause infections in humans.
|
|
Fungi are types of parasitic plants that include molds, mildew, and yeast. A fungal infection is an inflammatory condition in which fungi multiply and invade the skin, the digestive tract, the genitals, and other body tissues, particularly, the lu...
|
|
Fungal infections of the skin are among today's most common infectious diseases, and they occur worldwide. Superficial fungus infections fall into three broad categories: the dermatophytes (ringworm), tinea versicolor, and cutaneous candidiasis (y...
|
|
Acute kidney failure occurs when illness, infection, or injury damages the kidneys. Temporarily, the kidneys cannot adequately remove fluids and wastes from the body or maintain the proper level of certain kidney-regulated chemicals in the bloodst...
|
![]() |
Acute (sudden) kidney failure is the sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes.
|
|
Acute kidney failure (AKF) occurs when there is a sudden reduction in kidney function that results in nitrogenous wastes accumulating in the blood (azotemia).
|
|
Women's health differs from men's health, and not just with respect to reproduction. To understand and examine these differences appropriately, the variables of sex and gender are each relevant. In general, sex refers to biological, anatomical, ph...
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that primarily targets synovial tissues. It is relatively common with a prevalence of approximately 1% in adults all over the world.
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. Other problems throughout the body (systemic problems) may also develop, including inflammation of blood vessels ( vasculitis ), the de...
|
![]() |
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can also affect other organs.
|
|
The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis and varying degrees of extraarticular involvement. A chronic fluctuating course of the disease is experienced by most patients that may result in joint destruction, deformity, disability and premature death. 1?4 Major economic and emotional disabilities can result from RA and can have a significant impact on patients? families and loved ones.
|
|
Over the past twenty years the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has undergone dramatic changes, particularly in the past five years. Traditionally, RA was diagnosed late in the disease course, the symptoms were treated without addressing the underlying damaging nature of RA, referral to specialist teams was delayed, and drugs that might slow the disease process down (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)) were introduced after joints had eroded.
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of the joints, the cause of which is still unknown. Infectious factors are being studied, including bacterial and viral organisms, but no definite involvement of any agent has been proven. There...
|
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease causing inflammation and deformity of the joints. Other systemic problems throughout the body may also develop, including inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), the development of bumps (rheumato...
|
|
|
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the joints, most often in the hands and feet. It results in swelling, stiffness, pain, and sometimes joint, bone, and cartilage destruction.
|


