Definition: Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a a condition marked by abdominal pain (often relieved by the passage of stool or gas); disturbances of evacuation (constipation, diarrhea, or alternating episodes of both); bloating and abdominal distension; and the passage of mucus in ...Continue Reading

Definition: a persistent or intermittent elevation of the systolic BP above 140 mmHg or diastolic BP above 90mmHg.  Primary (essential) HTN  Incidence: most common type.  Onset: gradual (over many years).  Etiology: underlying cause is unknown. Clinical Findings: typically asymptomatic, primary HTN is usually not recognized ...Continue Reading

Definition: Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder marked by hyperglycemia. DM results either from a primary failure of the beta cells of the pancreas to produce enough insulin (type-1 DM) or from the development of insulin resistance in body cells, ...Continue Reading

Definition: Crohn's Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease usually occurs in the ileum, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult since Crohn’s often ...Continue Reading

Definition: Coronary Artery Disease is the narrowing and hardening of the arterial lumen resulting in decreased coronary blood flow and decreased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium. Incidence: most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death ...Continue Reading

Definition: Congestive Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart is an able to pump sufficient blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body. The result of inadequate cardiac output (CO) is poor organ perfusion and vascular congestion in ...Continue Reading

Definition: A Group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. It includes asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. COPD is a slowly progressive disease of the airways that is characterized by a gradual loss of lung function.  Incidence: COPD occurs ...Continue Reading

Definition: Malignant neoplasia marked by the uncontrolled growth of cells, often with invasion of healthy tissues locally or throughout the body (metastasis).  Incidence: Second leading cause of death in the United States of America, after cardiovascular diseases. Onset: Varies with different types ...Continue Reading

Definition: Often referred to as reactive airway disease (RAD), asthma is an intermittent, reversible, obstructive disease of the lungs characterized by bronchospasm and hyper-reactivity to a multitude of triggering agents (allergens/antigens/irritants). Incidence:  Asthma can occur at any age and it is ...Continue Reading

Definition: Alzheimer's Disease is a disabling degenerative disease of the nervous system characterized by dementia and failure of memory for recent events, followed by total incapacitation and eventually death.  Incidence: Most common cause of death of elderly dementia, accounting for about half ...Continue Reading