Known as diabetes, this is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.

This clinical syndrome, that results from low blood sugar (glucose), occurs when the body’s sugar is used up too quickly, glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly, or too much insulin is released into the bloodstream.

An under-active thyroid, with too little secretion of thyroid hormone, is called hypothyroidism, with general symptoms of slowing down. An overactive thyroid gland is called hyperthyroidism, with signs of increased body metabolism, along with possible swelling of the thyroid gland (known as goiter.)

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, high blood pressure, is serious because people with the condition have a higher risk for heart disease and other medical problems than people with normal blood pressure. Serious complications can be avoided by getting regular blood pressure checks and treating hypertension as soon as it is diagnosed.e