Your pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain. The pituitary is the “hormonal control center” – it makes hormones that affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body.

Pituitary disorders are often due to too much or too little of one or more pituitary hormones. The most common cause is a benign pituitary tumor. One of the most common, yet treatable pituitary tumors is known as a prolactinoma.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause menstrual irregularity and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause unwanted facial hair. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.

PCOS is common, affecting as many as 1 out of 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems.

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that can occur in both men and women. It typically results from bone loss from menopause, aging or both. As a result, your bones become weak and may break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, even from simple actions, like sneezing or bumping into furniture.

Osteoporosis means “porous bone.” If you look at healthy bone under a microscope, you will see that parts of it look like a honeycomb. If you have osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much bigger than they are in healthy bone. This means your bones have lost density or mass and that the structure of your bone tissue has become abnormal. As your bones become less dense, they also become weaker and more likely to break.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health concerns, which points to a wide range of vitamin D functions, although research is still underway into why the hormone impacts other systems of the body. For instance, too little vitamin D makes an individual more prone to infections and illness, cardiovascular disease and mental illness — including mood disorders like depression. Researchers have found that vitamin D helps regulate adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine production in the brain; as well as helping to protect from serotonin depletion. For this reason, low vitamin D levels increase an individual's risk of depression significantly.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c or Glycosylated Hemoglobin)

HbA1c Indicates the level of glucose control in a diabetic over a 3 month period. This is used to monitor control in diabetic patients and to find patients at risk for diabetes. It is unrelated to the hemoglobin that is part of a complete blood count.

Normal values are typically under 5.7%. Levels of 5.7%-6.4% suggest insulin resistance and an increased risk for diabetes (prediabetes), though glucose levels may be normal on blood work. Levels of 6.5% and higher can help confirm a diagnosis of diabetes.

For patients known to have diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a goal A1C of less than 7%, while the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) recommends a goal A1C of less than 6.5%. These goals should be discussed with your doctor.