Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are disorders of the heart and the blood vessel system (including heart failure, heart attacks, coronary heart disease, hypertension). Globally, CVDs are the primary cause of death: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 17.3 million people died from CVDs in 2008, representing 30% of all global deaths.
Endocrinology is the branch of medicine that studies the physiopathology, secretion, metabolism and diseases associated with hormones. Hormones regulate many important physiological processes, including growth, development and metabolism. Diabetes, for example, is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by disturbed or failed insulin production by pancreatic cells.