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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition in which the force of blood against artery walls is too strong. Over time, high blood pressure can damage the arteries, heart, and kidneys and can lead to heart disease and stroke.

High blood pressure can be treated effectively with lifestyle changes and medications that can reduce the risk of complications.

Blood pressure readings consist of an upper number and a lower number (such as 120 over 90 or 120/90). The upper number is systolic blood pressure; the lower number is diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in units called millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Normal blood pressure is 119 mm Hg systolic over 79 mm Hg diastolic or below.

A person has high blood pressure (hypertension) when either or both of the following are present:

• The top number (systolic) is 140 mm Hg or higher.
• The bottom number (diastolic) is 90 mm Hg or higher.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. It is the most common form of mental decline, or dementia, in older adults.

Alzheimer’s disease always gets worse over time, but the course of the disease varies from person to person. Some people may still be able to function relatively well until late in the course of the disease. Others may lose the ability to do daily activities very early on.

Over time, Alzheimer’s disease causes severe mental and functional problems and eventually results in death. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, much can be done, including medications and behavioral modifications, to maintain the person’s quality of life and to help the person stay active. Most people with Alzheimer’s disease can be cared for at home.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus. The liver becomes swollen and tender (inflamed) and may develop permanent damage, such as scarring or liver cancer.

Initial symptoms of hepatitis C are mild and include fatigue, headache, sore muscles, abdominal pain, and sometimes dark urine. Hepatitis C is diagnosed with blood tests, but the disease can go unnoticed until years later after liver damage develops.

Hepatitis C is spread through sharing contaminated needles, infected blood, and very rarely through unprotected sex with an infected partner.

Treatment for hepatitis C includes antiviral medications and supportive therapy. A liver transplant is sometimes needed.

Grief is a normal reaction to a significant loss that may cause feelings such as sadness and preoccupation with the loss. Grieving is a process that typically progresses through stages, from becoming aware of the loss, to feeling and expressing grief, eventually ending with adjustment to the loss.

A person can develop feelings of grief over the loss of a job, one’s good health, an opportunity, or a beloved person or animal. Grieving can also elicit physical symptoms brought on by the stress of grief and life adjustment, such as problems eating and sleeping, headache, tightness in the throat, or body aches and pains. Grieving usually lasts from 2 to 6 months after a loss, gradually improving with time. However, a person may have episodes of grief for up to 2 years following a loss.

Intense grieving can resemble depression. Long-term grief can lead to depression, but in most cases a person who is grieving does not have a major depressive disorder. If symptoms of depression persist without improvement for more than 2 months during a period of grief, the person should call a health professional.

Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of fear, uneasiness, or concern that something bad may happen. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as trembling, shaking, muscle aches, restlessness, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and clammy hands.

If anxiety interferes with daily activities, a person may need treatment with medications (such as antidepressants or antianxiety medications) and/or professional counseling.

Diabetes is a lifelong condition in which sugar (glucose) remains in the blood rather than entering the body’s cells to be used for energy. This results in persistently high blood sugar, which, over time, can damage many body systems.

Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and frequent urination (especially at night), unexplained increase in appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, erection problems, blurred vision, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.

People who have diabetes are at increased risk for many serious health problems, including hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and heart problems, eye problems that can lead to blindness, circulation and nerve problems, and kidney disease and kidney failure.

Diabetes is treated with diet and lifestyle changes and with medications (such as insulin or oral medications). If blood sugar levels are kept within the recommended range, the risk for many complications from diabetes decreases.

Testosterone is one of the hormones needed for sexual development and is present in both males and females. Testosterone is considered an androgen, which is a male sex hormone, because it is made in much higher amounts in men than in women.

Testosterone helps strengthen bones and muscles in both men and women. In young men, testosterone signals the body to lower the voice, grow facial hair, and develop sexual characteristics. This hormone is also needed for sperm production.

The bladder is a balloon-shaped muscle that serves as the storage pouch for urine. Urine flows from the bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body.

The bladder is part of the urinary tract, along with the kidneys, ureters, and the urethra.

Depression is an illness that causes a person to feel sad and hopeless for much of the time. It is different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy.

People who are depressed may also:

• Think and speak more slowly than normal.
• Have trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
• Have changes in their eating and sleeping habits.
• Lose interest in things they once enjoyed.
• Be preoccupied with death and/or suicide.

Depression affects men and women of all ages and has often been shown to run in families. A person can have one or many episodes of depression in a lifetime. Each episode of depression makes a person more likely to have another episode of depression.

Most people who are depressed get better with medication, counseling, or a combination of the two. People with suicidal tendencies may need to be hospitalized.

The rectum is a muscular tube about 5 in. (12.7 cm) long that is at the end of the large intestine (colon). The rectum connects the colon to the anus, which is the opening where stool exits the body through the anal sphincter.

The anal sphincter is a ring of muscles at the opening of the anus. The sphincter keeps the anus closed as stool collects in the rectum. Eventually the pressure on the rectum wall causes the anal sphincter to relax, allowing stool to pass out of the body through the anus.