Not medical advice. This site is general information only. In an emergency call your local emergency number. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
Non-communicable
21 diseases
Cancer
Named by Hippocrates using the Greek word for crab, karkinos. In countries such as the UK, about one...
Heart Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 17.9 million death...
Stroke
The second leading cause of death globally. Hippocrates called it apoplexy, meaning struck down with...
Diabetes
Ancient doctors tasted urine to diagnose it, noting it was sweet. Type 1 was fatal before insulin wa...
Alzheimers Disease
The most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer presented the case of Auguste Deter in 1906. Over 55 mi...
Parkinsons Disease
Michael J Fox and Muhammad Ali brought awareness. The loss of dopamine-producing cells causes tremor...
Epilepsy
One of the oldest documented conditions. Ancient Babylonians attributed seizures to demons. Hippocra...
Asthma
Affects 339 million people globally. Deaths are largely preventable with proper treatment. Inhalers ...
Depression
A leading cause of disability worldwide. Hippocrates described melancholia. Prozac, launched in 1987...
Schizophrenia
Affects about 24 million people worldwide. The word means split mind, not split personality. Chlorpr...
Arthritis
Over 100 types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is most common, affecting 500 million globally. Rheumato...
Obesity
Now a global epidemic affecting over 1 billion people. Once a sign of wealth, now linked to poverty ...
COPD
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis combined. The third leading cause of death worldwide, about 3.2 mil...
Osteoporosis
Bones quietly thin until a hip or spine fractures. Called a silent disease because symptoms appear o...
Migraine
Affects a billion people and ranks among the most disabling conditions on earth. Attacks bring throb...
ALS
Motor neurons die, paralyzing the body while the mind usually stays sharp. Lou Gehrig brought it to ...
Bipolar Disorder
Aretaeus of Cappadocia described patients swinging between elation and despair 2,000 years ago. Lith...
Anxiety Disorders
The most common mental disorders, affecting roughly 300 million people. Hippocrates described panic ...
Glaucoma
The leading cause of irreversible blindness, silently erasing peripheral vision. Named by the Greeks...
Cataracts
The leading cause of blindness worldwide, with tens of millions untreated in poor regions. Indian su...
Macular Degeneration
Destroys the central vision needed for reading and faces while side vision remains. The leading caus...