Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Trachoma, caused by infection with conjunctival strains of Chlamydia trachomatis, is the most common infectious cause of blindness. This Primer summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis of trachoma as well as its management, disease control and elimination, and key areas for future research.
Hypothyroidism is a common condition of insufficient thyroid hormone production or metabolism, which can be life-threatening if untreated. This Primer reviews hypothyroidism epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, screening and prevention programmes, current treatment approaches, and areas for additional research.
Achalasia is a disorder of the oesophageal smooth muscle characterized by impaired lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation and absent or spastic oesophageal body contractions. This Primer reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of achalasia, as well as patient quality of life and areas for further research.
Bone stress injuries, commonly referred to as stress reactions or stress fractures, result from repeated overloading of bone and are thought to involve an imbalance in microdamage formation and repair. This Primer provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathobiology, risk factors, diagnostic approaches, treatments and consequences of bone stress injuries.
Hypothalamic syndrome is a rare disorder caused by injury to the hypothalamus from various diseases or their treatment. This Primer provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of the syndrome, as well as the challenges in preventing hypothalamic injury and treating its sequelae.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is increasing in prevalence as populations age. This Primer provides an overview of AF epidemiology, the mechanisms underlying electropathology in AF, and the diagnostic approaches and treatments, and highlights important directions to improve understanding and management of AF in co-creation with patients.
This Primer describes the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and management of tobacco use and tobacco use disorder. Moreover, this Primer discusses the quality of life issues associated with tobacco use and provides an overview of future research avenues for this field.
Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder that is characterized by loss of control of eating behaviour and episodes of eating very large amounts of food. This Primer discusses the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of binge eating disorder.
Hypertensive eye disease (HED) refers to dieases of the eye that are associated with acute or chronic elevations in blood pressure. This Primer discusses the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of HED.
This Primer summarizes the mechanisms, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of stroke in children (that is, stroke occurring in those aged between 29 days and 18 years).
The association between cancer and a state of increased coagulability results in an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), a severe co-morbidity that can lead to worsened survival.
Heatstroke is a life-threatening illness typically associated with an uncontrolled rise in core body temperature and central nervous system dysfunction. This Primer describes its epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, preventive and therapeutic strategies, as well as long-term complications and areas for future research.
This Primer by Martini and colleagues summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic condition of childhood. In addition, this Primer discusses the quality of life of children with JIA and reviews future research directions to improve patient care.
Migraine is a common headache disorder. This Primer by Ferrari and colleagues summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of migraine. Moreover, quality of life issues faced by patients with migraine and future research avenues are discussed.
Large-vessel vasculitis is the most common primary vasculitis in adults, manifesting as inflammation of the aorta and its major branches. This Primer reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of this disease, highlights its effects on patient quality of life, and discusses future research questions.
