Glossary
of terms
|
Successful self-management of diabetes means learning
some new vocabulary.
Atherosclerosis. The depositing
of fatty, cholesterol-rich deposits along the artery walls. These deposits,
atherosclerotic plaques, narrow the arteries, and play a key role in heart
attack and stroke.
Autoimmunity. A condition in which the body's immune system mistakes
its own cells for outside invaders and attacks them. Type 1 diabetes develops
when the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the
pancreas, destroying them, and halting insulin production.
Beta cells. The cells that make insulin. They are found in the
islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, a comma-shaped gland located behind
the stomach.
Blood glucose. Blood sugar, the body's main fuel. In diabetes,
because of insulin resistance or lack of insulin, the body cannot move
blood glucose out of the blood into the cells where it is used.
Blood-glucose meter. Is a hand-held device that measures the level
of glucose in the blood. After sticking a finger with a small razor (lancet),
you place a drop of blood on a test strip, and then insert it into the
meter. The meter analyzes the glucose level, and a reading appears in
about a minute.
CDE. Certified diabetes educator. A health professional who has
passed a national exam demonstrating competence in counseling people with
diabetes.
CSII. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. An insulin pump
delivers this.
Cardiovascular disease. A common -- and serious -- complication
of diabetes. Most people with diabetes ultimately die of cardiovascular
disease. Cardiovascular disease is a condition of the heart (cardio) and
blood vessels (vascular) in which the arteries become narrowed by fatty,
cholesterol-rich deposits known as atherosclerotic plaques. Once narrowed,
circulation becomes impaired. The cells of the heart do not receive enough
nourishment and oxygen to pump sufficient blood for the body's needs.
Blood pressure rises, and the heart becomes fatigued. If an artery in
the heart becomes completely blocked by atherosclerotic plaques, the blood
supply to part of the heart gets cut off (coronary artery disease), and
the result is a heart attack. If an artery in the brain becomes completely
blocked by atherosclerotic plaques, blood supply to part of that organ
gets cut off, and the result is a stroke.
Cholesterol. A substance the body uses to make cell walls and certain
vitamins and hormones. The liver produces enough cholesterol for these
purposes, and in most people keeps the blood cholesterol level below 200
milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). But blood cholesterol rises with consumption
of animal products, which contain both cholesterol and saturated fat.
The atherosclerotic plaques that lead to heart attack and stroke are rich
in cholesterol.
Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. The DCCT was a 10-year
study of more than 1,400 people with type 1 diabetes sponsored by the
National Institutes of Health. It showed what many diabetes specialists
had suspected for years, that tight blood-glucose control significantly
reduces risk of all diabetic complications: cardiovascular disease, eye
disease (retinopathy), kidney disease (nephropathy), and nerve damage
(neuropathy).
Diabetes. A disease characterized by a lack of insulin production,
or the body's inability to use the insulin it produces properly. In diabetes,
blood glucose levels rise to abnormal levels, which can cause a host of
symptoms and complications.
Diabetes mellitus. The medical term for diabetes.
Exchange lists. One way people with diabetes can plan their meals
and diet. The exchange lists group foods into six categories: starch/bread,
meat, vegetable, fruit, milk, and fat. Foods within any list can be substituted,
or exchanged, with other foods on the same list without significantly
altering the nutritional content of your diet.
Foot ulcers. Cuts or other wounds on the feet. In people with diabetes,
foot ulcers may not heal, and may lead to serious infection, possibly
leading to amputation.
Gestational diabetes. A type of diabetes triggered by pregnancy.
Hormones released during pregnancy can raise the mother's blood glucose
levels. She can lower levels with diet and exercise, or she may need to
inject insulin. Gestational diabetes usually clears up after giving birth,
but women who have had it are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes later
in life.
Glucagon. A hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood
glucose levels. An injectable form can be prescribed for treating severe
cases of hypoglycemia.
Glucose. The form of sugar that fuels the body. Produced by digesting
foods, it's carried by the blood to the cells. The amount of glucose in
the blood is known as the blood glucose level.
Glycosylated hemoglobin. Hemoglobin molecules with glucose attached.
Hemoglobin is a key molecule in red blood cells. No matter what a person's
blood glucose level, a small proportion of hemoglobin molecules pick up
glucose and become glycosylated. In people without diabetes, about 5%
of hemoglobin is glycosylated. But as blood glucose levels rise, so does
glycosylated hemoglobin. In people with poorly controlled diabetes, it
can rise as high as 13%. A simple blood test, called the HbA1c test, reveals
glycosylated hemoglobin level. It provides a snapshot of blood-glucose
control during the previous two to three months.
HbA1c. See Glycosylated hemoglobin.
Hyperglycemia. High (hyper) blood glucose (glycemia), a level
higher than 140 mg/dL. Acute symptoms include frequent urination, increased
thirst, and weight loss. If left untreated, hyperglycemia produces diabetes
complications: cardiovascular disease, eye disease (retinopathy), kidney
disease (nephropathy), and nerve damage (neuropathy).
Hypoglycemia. Low (hypo) blood glucose (glycemia), a level lower
than 70 mg/dL. Symptoms include moodiness, numbness in the arms and hands,
confusion and shakiness, or dizziness. Untreated, hypoglycemia can cause
sudden loss of consciousness.
IDDM.
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 1 diabetes.
Impaired glucose tolerance. A condition where blood glucose level
is between normal and diabetic.
Impotence. The inability in men to get or maintain an erection.
A possible complication of diabetes.
Insulin. A hormone produced by the pancreas that enables the body's
cells to use glucose. It "tells" the cells to let glucose in.
The cells then use glucose as fuel. In type 1 diabetes, a person does
not produce insulin. In type 2 diabetes, a person produces insulin, but
the body cannot use it properly.
Insulin pump. A small, computerized, programmable device about
the size of a pager that sends a continuous stream of insulin into the
bloodstream. It replaces insulin injection.
Insulin resistance. The main problem in type 2 diabetes. The pancreas
produces insulin, but the cells do not respond to it properly -- they're
resistant.
Jet injector. A gun-like device that injects insulin without needles.
It pushes insulin directly through the skin.
Ketones. Acidic byproducts of fat metabolism that turn up in the
blood and urine as a result of low insulin levels.
Ketoacidosis. An acute complication caused by a lack of insulin
in the blood. Without insulin, the cells cannot use glucose. Before they
starve, the body breaks down fat for energy. Fat metabolism introduces
high levels of ketones into the blood and urine. When ketone blood levels
rise, ketoacidosis develops, causing difficulty breathing, coma, and possibly
death.
Lancet. The small device used to prick the finger for blood-glucose
testing.
mg/dL. Milligrams per deciliter, a unit of measurement denoting
the proportion of solids in a liquid medium. Levels of blood glucose are
measured in mg/dl.
NIDDM. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes.
Nephropathy. Kidney damage. This potentially life-threatening complication
is the result of years of poorly controlled diabetes. Dialysis or a kidney
transplant may become necessary.
Neuropathy. Damage to the nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy
affects the motor nerves that control walking. Sensory neuropathy impairs
the nerves that control touch, sight, and pain perception. Autonomic neuropathy
affects the nerves involved in such involuntary functions as digestion.
Obesity. A weight more than 20 percent above that recommended for
your gender, height, and build. Obesity is a key risk factor for type
2 diabetes.
Pancreas. The gland behind
the stomach whose beta cells produce insulin.
Pen injector. It looks like an ink pen, but contains a pre-measured
amount of insulin, ready to be injected.
Random plasma glucose test. A blood test that measures the amount
of glucose in the blood usually shortly after eating or drinking. A result
greater than 200 mg/dl indicates diabetes.
Retinopathy. Damage to small blood vessels in the eye that can
cause vision problems including blindness. A complication of diabetes.
In background retinopathy, the blood vessels in the eye leak fluid into
the retina, causing blurred vision. In proliferative retinopathy, new
abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina, and may cause blindness.
Tight control. A form of diabetes management that keeps blood glucose
as close to normal as possible. Tight control can greatly reduce risk
of diabetes-related complications.
United Kingdom Prospective Diabetic Study (UKPDS). A landmark study
of 5,102 people with type 2 diabetes. This study found that tight glucose
control reduces risk of eye disease (retinopathy), kidney disease (nephropathy),
and nerve damage (neuropathy). |
