Diabetes can seem overwhelming and you may be feeling confused with some of the terms you have been reading or hearing about. Let our diabetes dictionary be your guide to help you better understand it all!
Also visit our glossary of articles and videos to help you on your way to discovering more about diabetes.
A1c Test: A test that measures the amount of hemoglobin with sugar attached. The results show your average blood glucose level over 3 months.
Alpha Cell: A type of cell in the pancreas that makes and releases a hormone called glucagon.
American Diabetes Association: Is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.
Amylin: A hormone formed by beta cells in the pancreas
Angiopathy: Any disease of the blood vessels (veins, arteries, capillaries) or lymphatic vessels.
Antibodies: Proteins made by the body to protect itself from "foreign" substances such as bacteria or viruses. People get Type 1 diabetes when their bodies make antibodies that destroy the body's own insulin-making beta cells.
Arteriosclerosis: Hardening of the arteries.
Artery: A large blood vessel that carries blood with oxygen from the heart to all parts of the body.
Atherosclerosis: Clogging, narrowing and hardening of the body's large arteries and medium-sized blood vessels. Atherosclerosis can lead to stroke, heart attack, eye problems and kidney problems.
Autoimmune Disease: A disorder of the body's immune system in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys body tissue that it believes to be foreign.
Beta cell: A cell that makes insulin.
Blood Glucose: The main sugar found in the blood and the body's main source of energy. Also called blood sugar.
Blood Glucose Level: The amount of glucose in a given amount of blood. It is noted in milligrams in a deciliter, or mg/dL.
Blood Glucose Meter: A small, portable machine used by people with diabetes to check their blood glucose levels.
Blood Glucose Monitoring: Checking blood glucose level on a regular basis in order to manage diabetes.
Blood Pressure: The force of blood exerted on the inside walls of blood vessels. Blood pressure is expressed as a ratio (example: 120/80, read as "120 over 80"). The first number is the systolic pressure or the pressure when the heart pushes blood out into the arteries. The second number is the diastolic pressure or the pressure when the heart rests.
Blood Vessels: Tubes that carry blood to and from all parts of the body. The three main types of blood vessels are arteries, veins and capillaries.
BMI Test: A measure used to evaluate body weight relative to a person's height. BMI is used to find out if a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.
Bolus: An extra amount of insulin taken to cover and expected rise in blood glucose, often related to a meal or snack.
Calorie: A unit representing the energy provided by food.
Capillary: The smallest of the body's blood vessels. Oxygen and glucose pass through capillary walls and enter the cells. Waste products such as carbon dioxide pass back from the cells into the blood through capillaries.
Carbohydrate: One of the three main nutrients in food. Foods that provide carbohydrate are starches, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and sugars.
Cardiologist: A doctor who treats people who have heart problems.
Cardiovascular Disease: Disease of the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries).
Cataract: Clouding of the lens of the eye.
Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE): A health care professional with expertise in diabetes education who has met eligibility requirements and successfully completed a certification exam.
Cholesterol: A type of fat produced by the liver and found in the blood; it is also found in some foods. Cholesterol is used by the body to make hormones and build cell walls.
Circulation: The flow of blood through the body's blood vessels and heart.
Coma: A sleep-like state in which a person is not conscious. May be caused by hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) in people with diabetes.
Complications: Other health problems caused by diabetes.
Coronary Heart Disease: Heart disease caused by narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. If the blood supply is cut off, the result is a heart attack.
Dehydration: The loss of too much body fluid through frequent urinating, sweating, diarrhea or vomiting.
Depression: The terms depression or depressed refer to sadness and other related emotions and behaviors. It can be thought of as either a disease or a syndrome.
Dermopathy: Disease of the skin.
Dextrose: Also called glucose. A simple sugar found in the blood that serves as the body's main source of energy.
Diabetes: A disease that affects the way the body turns sugar into energy.
Diabetes Educator: A health care professional who teaches people who have diabetes how to manage their diabetes. Some diabetes educators are certified diabetes educators (CDEs).
Diabetes Self-Management Education: A comprehensive diabetes education program for people with diabetes.
Diabetes Support Group: A group meeting that offers education, networking and support for people with diabetes.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Usually only people with Type 1 diabetes get DKA. It occurs when the body does not have enough insulin to change sugar into energy.
Dietitian: A health care professional who advises people about meal planning, weight control and diabetes management.
Dilated Eye Exam: A test done by an eye care specialist in which the pupil (the black center) of the eye is temporarily enlarged with eyedrops to allow the specialist to see the inside of the eye more easily.
Edema: Swelling caused by excess fluid in the body.
Endocrinologist: A doctor with special training in the care of people with diabetes.
Exercise Physiologist: A health care professional who designs physical activity plans.
Enzyme: Protein made by the body that brings about a chemical reaction, for example, the enzymes produced by the gut to aid digestion.
Euglycemia: A normal level of glucose in the blood.
Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG): A check of a person's blood glucose level after the person has not eaten for 8 to 12 hours (usually overnight). This test is used to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes. It is also used to monitor people with diabetes.
Fat: Along with proteins and carbohydrates, one of the three nutrients used as energy sources by the body.
Fiber: The parts of plants that cannot be digested.
Fructose: A sugar that occurs naturally in fruits and honey.
Genetics: The study of the process by which a parent passes certain traits onto their children.
Gestational Diabetes: A type of diabetes that some women get only while pregnant.
Glaucoma: An increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that may lead to loss of vision.
Glucagon: A hormone produced by the alpha cells in the pancreas. It raises blood glucose.
Glucose: One of the simplest forms of sugar.
Glucose Tablets: Chewable tablets made of pure glucose used for treating hypoglycemia.
Glycemic Index: A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods, based on the food's effect on blood glucose compared with a standard reference food.
Gram: A unit of weight in the metric system.
Group Lifestyle Balance (GLB): A program designed to help patients make lifestyle changes to both prevent diabetes and prevent or treat the metabolic syndrome.
Heart Attack: Damage to the heart muscle caused when the blood vessels supplying the muscle are blocked, such as when the blood vessels are clogged with fats (a condition sometimes called hardening of the arteries).
Heart Disease: Any disorder of the heart.
Hemoglobin: A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Heredity: The passing of a trait from parent to child.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL): known as "good cholesterol." A high HDL level seems to protect your body from heart disease.
Hormone: A chemical produced in one part of the body and released into the blood to trigger or regulate particular functions of the body.
Hyperglycemia: High blood glucose.
Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Non-Ketotic Syndrome (HHNS): A serious condition of high blood glucose. Usually occurs only in people with Type 2 diabetes.
Hypertension: A condition present when blood flows through the blood vessels with a force greater than normal. Also called high blood pressure.
Hypoglycemia: Low blood glucose.
Hypotension: Low blood pressure or a sudden drop in blood pressure. Hypotension may occur when a person rises quickly from a sitting or reclining position, causing dizziness or fainting.
Immune System: The body's system for protecting itself from viruses and bacteria or any "foreign" substances.
Injection Sites: Places on the body where insulin is usually injected.
Insulin: A hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy.
Insulin Receptors: Areas on the outer part of a cell that allow the cell to bind with insulin in the blood.
Insulin Resistance: The body's inability to respond to and use the insulin it produces.
Ketone: Waste products formed when the body burns fat.
Ketonuria: A condition occurring when ketones are present in the urine, a warning sign of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Ketosis: A ketone buildup in the body that may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Kidney Failure: A chronic condition in which the body retains fluid and harmful wastes build up because the kidneys no longer work properly.
Kidneys: The two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes from the blood and form urine. The kidneys are located near the middle of the back. They send urine to the bladder.
Lipid: A term for fat in the body.
Lipid Profile: A blood test that measures total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is then calculated from the results. A lipid profile is one measure of a person's risk of cardiovascular disease.
Liver: An organ in the body that changes food into energy, removes alcohol and poisons from the blood, and makes bile, a substance that breaks down fats and helps rid the body of wastes.
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL): Known as "bad cholesterol." Too much LDL in the blood can block the blood vessels.
Macula: The part of the retina in the eye used for reading and seeing fine detail.
Macular Edema: Swelling of the macula.
Metabolic Syndrome: The tendency of several conditions to occur together, including obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes or pre-diabetes, hypertension, and high lipids.
Metabolism: The term for the way cells chemically change food so that it can be used to store or use energy and make the proteins, fats, and sugars needed by the body.
Mg/dL: Milligrams per deciliter a unit of measure that shows the concentration of a substance in a specific amount of fluid.
Microvascular Disease: Disease of the smallest blood vessels, such as those found in the eyes, nerves, and kidneys.
Nephrologist: A doctor who treats people who have kidney problems.
Nephropathy: Disease of the kidneys.
Neurologist: A doctor who specializes in problems of the nervous system, such as neuropathy.
Neuropathy: Disease of the nervous system.
Nutritionist: A person with training in nutrition.
Obesity: A condition in which a greater than normal amount of fat is in the body.
Obstetrician: A doctor who treats pregnant women and delivers babies.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential fatty acids found in fish, nuts, flaxseed, tofu, and in soybean and canola oils, that help nourish the hair and nails, and offer a number of benefits for cardiovascular health.
Ophthalmologist: A medical doctor who diagnoses and treats all eye diseases and eye disorders.
Optician: A health care professional who dispenses glasses and lenses.
Optometrist: A primary eye care provider who prescribes glasses and contact lenses.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): A test to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes. Requires an overnight fast. The blood glucose is test twice; once after a fast and then 2 hours after a sugar-rich liquid is consumed.
Overweight: An above-normal body weight; having a body mass index of 25 to 29.9.
Pancreas: The organ that makes insulin.
Pedorthist: A health care professional who specializes in fitting shoes for people with disabilities or deformities.
Periodontal Disease: Disease of the gums.
Periodontist: A dentist who specializes in treating people who have gum diseases.
Pharmacist: A health care professional who prepares and distributes medicine to people.
Podiatrist: A doctor who treats people who have foot problems.
Podiatry: The care and treatment of feet.
Pre-Diabetes: A condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke.
Primary Care Doctor A doctor who manages a person's health care over time. A primary care doctor is able to give a wide range of care, including prevention and treatment.
Protein: One of the three types of nutrients used as energy sources by the body, the other two being carbohydrate and fat.
Psychologist: A specialist in the science that studies the mind and the reasons for the ways that people think and act.
Renal: Having to do with the kidneys.
Retina: The light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye.
Retinopathy: Diabetic eye disease; damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. Loss of vision may result.
Risk Factor: Anything that raises the chances of a person developing a disease.
Saturated Fats: Fats that increase LDL and are the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol.
Self-Management: The ongoing process of managing diabetes.
Side Effects: The unintended action(s) of a drug.
Social worker: A professional who works with patients to help them with emotional, financial, insurance, and other resources that they may need.
Sodium: A mineral needed by the body to keep body fluids in balance.
Starch: Another name for carbohydrate, one of the three main nutrients in food.
Stroke: Condition caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Sucrose: A two-part sugar made of glucose and fructose. Known as table sugar or white sugar.
Sugar: A class of carbohydrates with a sweet taste, including glucose, fructose and sucrose.
Syringe: A device used to inject medications or other liquids into body tissues.
Team Management: A diabetes treatment approach in which medical care is provided by a team of health care professionals including a doctor, a dietitian, a nurse, a diabetes educator, and others.
Trans Fats: An unhealthy substance, also known as trans fatty acid, made through the chemical process of hydrogenation of oils.
Triglyceride: The storage form of fat in the body. High triglyceride levels may occur when diabetes is out of control.
Type 1 Diabetes: A condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by a total lack of insulin. Occurs when the body's immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes: A condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either a lack of insulin or the body's inability to use insulin efficiently.
Unsaturated Fat: Usually liquid at room temperature. They are found in most vegetable products and oils.
Urea: Waste product found in the blood that results from the normal breakdown of protein in the liver.
Uremia: The illness associated with the buildup of urea in the blood because the kidneys are not working effectively.
Urologist: A doctor who treats people who have urinary tract problems.
Vascular: Relating to the body's blood vessels.
Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood to the heart.
Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) Cholesterol: A form of cholesterol in the blood; high levels may be related to cardiovascular disease.
Vitrectomy: Surgery to restore sight in which the surgeon removes the cloudy vitreous humor in the eye and replaces it with a salt solution.
Vitreous Humor: The clear gel that lies behind the eye's lens and in front of the retina.
