| Course | HCA 205 Principles of Health and Disease |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 4 |
| Paper type | Endocrine disease paper |
| Length | About 1,033 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Health Care Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 205 Module 4
When Hormones Go Wrong: Diabetes and Thyroid Disease in Everyday Practice
Student Name
Health Care Administration Program, Aspen University
HCA 205: Principles of Health and Disease
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
When Hormones Go Wrong: Diabetes and Thyroid Disease in Everyday Practice
The endocrine system is a network of glands that release hormones into the blood to regulate growth, energy use, reproduction and the balance of salt, water and sugar. When a gland makes too much or too little hormone, or when the body stops responding to a hormone, disease follows. This paper surveys the most common endocrine diseases seen in primary care, diabetes and thyroid disease, and follows a composite patient in whom both were found at the same visit.
How the System Works
The pituitary gland at the base of the brain acts as a control center, signaling other glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. The pancreas releases insulin, which lets cells take in glucose from the blood, and glucagon, which raises blood sugar between meals. The thyroid gland releases hormones that set the body's metabolic rate. These systems rely on feedback: when hormone levels rise, signals to produce more fall.
The Composite Patient
Ms. P., a composite 48-year-old bank teller, came to her clinic for fatigue, weight gain of 15 pounds over a year and feeling cold. Her mother has type 2 diabetes. Blood tests showed an A1C of 7.2% and a high thyroid-stimulating hormone level with a low thyroid hormone level. She had type 2 diabetes and hypothyroidism.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells; people with it need insulin for life. Type 2 diabetes, about 90% or more of cases, develops when the body resists insulin and the pancreas cannot keep up; it is strongly linked to excess weight, inactivity, age and family history. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy and raises the mother's later risk of type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes means blood sugar is above normal but below the diabetes threshold.
Diagnostic Cutoffs
The American Diabetes Association standards set the cutoffs shown in the table (American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, 2025).
| Test | Prediabetes | Diabetes |
|---|---|---|
| A1C | 5.7% to 6.4% | 6.5% or higher |
| Fasting plasma glucose | 100 to 125 mg/dL | 126 mg/dL or higher |
| 2-hour glucose after 75 g drink | 140 to 199 mg/dL | 200 mg/dL or higher |
| Random glucose with symptoms | Not used | 200 mg/dL or higher |
How Common Diabetes Is
Diabetes is common and often missed. National survey data from August 2021 to August 2023 found total diabetes in 15.8% of US adults, with 11.3% diagnosed and 4.5% undiagnosed, and prevalence rose with age and weight (Gwira et al., 2024). More than a quarter of adults with diabetes in that survey did not know they had it, which supports routine screening of adults at risk.
Complications
High blood sugar over years damages small and large blood vessels. Complications include eye disease that can cause blindness, kidney disease that can lead to dialysis, nerve damage that causes numbness and foot ulcers, and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Regular eye exams, kidney tests, foot checks and blood pressure and cholesterol control prevent or slow these complications.
Treating Type 2 Diabetes
Treatment starts with lifestyle changes: healthier eating, regular activity and, when needed, weight loss. Metformin is usually the first medicine. Newer medicines such as SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists lower blood sugar and also protect the heart and kidneys in many patients. Some patients eventually need insulin. Diabetes self-management education helps patients monitor blood sugar, take medicines correctly and recognize low blood sugar.
Thyroid Disease
Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, causes fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin and constipation; in the United States it is most often caused by autoimmune thyroiditis. Hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid, causes weight loss, rapid heartbeat, heat intolerance, tremor and anxiety; Graves disease is the most common cause. Both are diagnosed with blood tests of thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormone. Iodine intake, aging, smoking and genetic factors all influence how common thyroid disease is in a population (Taylor et al., 2018).
Treating Thyroid Disease
Hypothyroidism is treated with daily thyroid hormone replacement, levothyroxine, with blood tests every few weeks until the dose is right and then about yearly. Hyperthyroidism is treated with antithyroid medicines, radioactive iodine or surgery, and beta blockers can ease symptoms while treatment takes effect.
Ms. P.'s Plan
Ms. P. started levothyroxine and metformin, was referred to diabetes self-management education and scheduled for an eye exam. Her fatigue improved within two months as her thyroid level normalized, and treating her hypothyroidism also made weight loss easier. Her A1C fell to 6.6% at three months. Her case shows why symptoms such as fatigue deserve a broad look: two diseases were present, each making the other harder to manage.
Prevention
Type 1 diabetes and most thyroid disease cannot currently be prevented, but type 2 diabetes often can. People with prediabetes who join structured lifestyle programs lower their risk of developing diabetes. For practices, prevention means screening adults at risk, offering referral to lifestyle programs and following up on abnormal results.
Costs and Disparities
Diabetes is among the most costly chronic diseases because of its complications: dialysis, amputations, heart disease and vision loss. It is also more common among some groups, including Black, Hispanic and American Indian adults, and among people with lower incomes and less education, whom the national survey showed had higher prevalence. Screening and prevention programs that reach these groups can reduce both illness and cost.
Screening Who and When
Screening for type 2 diabetes is recommended for adults with overweight or obesity starting in middle age, and earlier for those with additional risk factors such as family history or a history of gestational diabetes. Thyroid testing is not recommended for everyone but is appropriate when symptoms such as fatigue, weight change or heart rhythm changes suggest a problem, as with Ms. P. Practices can build these rules into record reminders.
Conclusion
Endocrine diseases arise when hormone production or response goes wrong. Diabetes is common, frequently undiagnosed and damaging over time, but it can be detected with simple tests and managed with lifestyle changes and medicines, and type 2 diabetes can often be prevented. Thyroid disease is also common and easily treated once diagnosed. Ms. P.'s visit shows the value of testing when symptoms are vague.
References
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2025). 2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes: Standards of care in diabetes-2025. Diabetes Care, 48(Suppl. 1), S27-S49. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-S002
Gwira, J. A., Fryar, C. D., & Gu, Q. (2024). Prevalence of total, diagnosed, and undiagnosed diabetes in adults: United States, August 2021-August 2023 (NCHS Data Brief No. 516). National Center for Health Statistics. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/165794
Taylor, P. N., Albrecht, D., Scholz, A., Gutierrez-Buey, G., Lazarus, J. H., Dayan, C. M., & Okosieme, O. E. (2018). Global epidemiology of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(5), 301-316. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2018.18
Reading the HCA 205 Module 4 assignment instructions
HCA 205's catalog entry calls for diseases by organ system with diagnostic tests, statistics and prevention, and with the module prompt held inside the Aspen classroom, the endocrine system became this example's focus. Endocrine assignments usually ask about diabetes and often one other gland, such as the thyroid, covering cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Check whether your prompt wants all diabetes types or type 2 alone. Use current diagnostic cutoffs from the American Diabetes Association standards and cite them. A table of cutoffs is an efficient way to present tests, and a patient case helps show how results are interpreted rather than simply listed. Name the source of any cutoff you use, and keep units consistent throughout.
Inside the HCA 205 Module 4 example
About 1,035 words and sixteen headings make up this sample, with a four-row table of diagnostic cutoffs. It explains how the endocrine system works and introduces the composite patient. The diabetes sections cover the four types, the cutoffs table, national prevalence, complications and treatment. Thyroid sections cover hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and their treatment. The patient's plan shows both conditions managed together. Screening rules, prevention, costs and disparities follow. A margin note explains why the cutoffs table lets the reader place the patient's result directly, and the conclusion stresses testing when symptoms are vague. The patient's three-month follow-up results show how treatment is judged over time.
HCA 205 Module 4 rubric: what earns full marks
Endocrine disease papers are usually assessed on accurate physiology, correct diagnostic criteria, clear treatment summaries and evidence. The physiology section explains insulin, glucagon and thyroid hormones with feedback. Diagnostic criteria follow the current American Diabetes Association standards exactly. Treatment is summarized by class, from metformin to newer heart- and kidney-protective medicines and levothyroxine. Evidence includes national survey data and a review of thyroid epidemiology, all in APA form. Graders also value a case that ties the facts together, and the patient with two conditions shows how one disease can complicate another. Screening guidance and disparities add the population view. Consistent units and a single source for cutoffs also make the paper easy to verify.
HCA 205 Module 4 help: mistakes that cost marks
The most common error is using outdated or incorrect diagnostic cutoffs. Check the current standards and cite them. Students also confuse type 1 and type 2 diabetes causes or describe all diabetes as caused by diet. Another gap is skipping complications or prevention. For thyroid disease, keep hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism symptoms clearly separate; a table can help. Use national statistics rather than general claims. Tutors on our team can check your cutoffs against the current standards, help you fit two diseases into one paper and flag any claim that still needs a source. Keep the patient case short enough that it supports the survey rather than replacing it.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HCA 205 Module 4 questions, answered
What does HCA 205 Module 4 usually ask for?
Aspen's HCA 205 description surveys common diseases by body system, so a paper on diabetes and other endocrine diseases is a typical assignment. Follow the prompt in your classroom.
What A1C level means diabetes?
Under American Diabetes Association standards, an A1C of 6.5% or higher, confirmed by repeat testing, indicates diabetes.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Fatigue, weight gain, feeling cold, dry skin and constipation are common symptoms of an underactive thyroid.
Where can I find a free HCA 205 Module 4 sample paper?
This page carries the full diabetes and thyroid disease paper, with its cutoffs table and margin notes. It is sample four of eight for HCA 205.
How common is undiagnosed diabetes in HCA 205 Module 4?
National survey data from 2021 to 2023 found undiagnosed diabetes in 4.5% of US adults, out of 15.8% with diabetes in total.