Diabetes Glossary
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Autoimmunity: The immune system defends the body against infections and certain other diseases. It is made up of different organs, cells, and proteins known as antibodies. It identifies, attacks, and destroys germs and other foreign substances. Sometimes the immune system makes a mistake and attacks the body's own tissues or organs. This is called autoimmunity. One example of an autoimmune disease is type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
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Beta Cells: Beta cells are cells that make insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. Beta cells are found in the pancreas within clusters of cells known as islets. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly destroys the beta cells. Without beta cells, the pancreas can't make insulin.
Blood Glucose Level: Blood glucose level is the amount of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a sugar that comes from the foods we eat, and it's also formed and stored inside the body. It's the main source of energy for the cells of our body, and it's carried to each cell through the bloodstream.
Blood Glucose Meter: A blood glucose meter is a small, portable machine that's used to check how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood (also known as the blood glucose level). People with diabetes often use a blood glucose meter to help them manage their condition.
Bolus: A bolus is a single, large dose of medicine. For a teen with diabetes, a bolus is a dose of insulin taken to handle a rise in blood glucose (a type of sugar), like the one that happens when you eat. A bolus is given as a shot or through an insulin pump.
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Carbohydrate: The foods we eat contain nutrients that provide energy and other things the body needs. Most of the nutrients in food fall into three major groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The two main forms of carbohydrates are sugars (such as fructose, glucose, and lactose) and starches, which are found in foods such as starchy vegetables, grains, rice, breads, and cereals. The body breaks down (or converts) most carbohydrates into the sugar glucose, which is absorbed into the bloodstream. As the glucose level rises in the body, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where it can be used as a source of energy.
Carbohydrate Counting: Many people with diabetes use carbohydrate ("carb") counting to estimate the amount of carbohydrate in the foods they eat. One "carb" contains 15 grams of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are mainly responsible for the rise in blood sugar that occurs after eating, so people with diabetes can use carbohydrate counting to match the amount of insulin they take with the amount of carbohydrate eaten in a meal or snack. This technique can help people achieve better control of blood sugar levels as they manage their diabetes.
Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs): Certified diabetes educators are health care professionals who specialize in treating people with diabetes. They can be nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, doctors, social workers, or other professionals. People who have the initials CDE after their names have passed a national exam that certifies them to teach people who have diabetes how to manage their condition.
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Endocrinologist (Pediatric): A pediatric endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children with diseases of the endocrine system, such as diabetes and growth disorders. The glands of the endocrine system produce hormones, which are chemical substances that regulate many important body functions.
Exchange Meal Plan: Many people with diabetes use a food-balancing program called the exchange meal plan to guide what they eat each day. For this meal plan, foods are divided into six groups: starch, fruit, milk, fat, vegetable, and meat. The plan sets a serving size (amount) for each food, and, within each group, each serving has a similar amount of calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. This allows the person flexibility in planning meals by "exchanging" or substituting choices from lists of foods with similar nutritional content. Using the plan to balance the amount of carbohydrates eaten is particularly important for people with diabetes because these are the foods that are mainly responsible for the rise in blood sugar that occurs after eating.
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Glucagon: Glucagon (GLOO-kuh-gon) is a hormone that raises blood sugar (glucose). It is made in the pancreas. When blood sugars are low, glucagon tells the liver to send sugar into the blood, which goes to the cells for energy. When someone with diabetes has a very low blood sugar level, a dose of glucagon can help raise their blood glucose quickly.
Glucose: Glucose is the main type of sugar in the blood and is the major source of energy for the body's cells. Glucose comes from the foods we eat or the body can make it from other substances. Glucose is carried to the cells through the bloodstream. Several hormones, including insulin, control glucose levels in the blood.
Glycemic Index: The body breaks down most carbohydrates from the foods we eat and converts them to a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for our cells. After eating, the time it takes for the body to convert carbohydrates and release glucose into the bloodstream varies, depending on the type of carbohydrate and the food that contains it. Some carbohydrate-containing foods cause the blood glucose level to rise rapidly; others have a more gradual effect. The glycemic index measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with lower glycemic index values do.
Glycogen: The body breaks down most carbohydrates from the foods we eat and converts them to a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for our cells. When the body doesn't need to use the glucose for energy, it stores it in the liver and muscles. This stored form of glucose is made up of many connected glucose molecules and is called glycogen. When the body needs a quick boost of energy or when the body isn't getting glucose from food, glycogen is broken down to release glucose into the bloodstream to be used as fuel for the cells.
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Hormones: Hormones are chemical substances that act like messenger molecules in the body. After being made in one part of the body, they travel to other parts of the body where they help control how cells and organs do their work. For example, insulin is a hormone that's made by the beta cells in the pancreas. When it's released into the blood, insulin helps regulate how the cells of the body use glucose (a type of sugar) for energy.
Hyperglycemia: Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source, and hormones (such as insulin and glucagon) control the level of glucose in the blood. Hyperglycemia occurs when the level of glucose in the blood is higher than it should be. Although there are other things that can lead to hyperglycemia, the most common cause is diabetes. In diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin or it can't respond normally to the insulin that is made. This causes the level of glucose in the blood to rise, leading to symptoms such as increased urination, extreme thirst, and unexplained weight loss.
Hypoglycemia: Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source, and hormones (such as insulin and glucagon) control the level of glucose in the blood. Hypoglycemia occurs when the level of glucose in the blood is lower than it should be. It's a common problem in people being treated for diabetes. People with diabetes may experience hypoglycemia (also called a low blood sugar reaction) if they don't eat enough or if they take too much glucose-lowering medication (such as insulin). A person with hypoglycemia may feel hungry, shaky, sweaty, weak, drowsy, or dizzy. If left untreated, hypoglycemia may even lead to unconsciousness.
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Insulin Injections: Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood by helping glucose enter the body's cells. Doctors use this hormone to treat diabetes when the body can't make enough insulin on its own. Although researchers are testing other ways to give insulin, it's only available now in a form that must be injected just under the skin. There are many types of injectable insulin, both short- and long-acting. Most people with diabetes take insulin injections based on their blood glucose levels, according to a plan that they've worked out with their doctor.
Insulin Pump: An insulin pump is an insulin-delivering device that's used by some people with diabetes. A small battery-operated device that can be worn on a belt or put in a pocket, it's connected to a narrow plastic tube that's inserted just under the skin and taped in place. People who use the pump program it to deliver insulin continuously throughout the day and to release extra doses of insulin to handle rises in blood sugar (after eating, for example).
Insulin Resistance: Someone with type 2 diabetes still produces insulin, but the body just doesn't respond to insulin normally and the person's pancreas isn't able to make enough extra insulin to overcome this insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when the body doesn't respond as well to the insulin that the pancreas is making and glucose is less able to enter the cells. People with insulin resistance may or may not go on to develop type 2 diabetes.
Islet Cells: The pancreas contains clusters of cells that produce hormones. These clusters are known as islets. There are several different types of cells in an islet. For example, alpha cells make the hormone glucagon, which raises the glucose (a type of sugar) level in the blood. Beta cells make the hormone insulin, which lowers the glucose level. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly destroys the beta cells. This causes the pancreas to lose the ability to make insulin.
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Ketoacidosis: Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. But when the body can't use glucose for fuel — like when a person has untreated diabetes — the body breaks down fat for energy instead. When fat is broken down, the body produces chemicals called ketones, which appear in the blood and urine. High levels of ketones cause the blood to become more acidic. This is known as ketoacidosis (it's called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, when uncontrolled diabetes is the cause). Ketoacidosis is a severe life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid breathing, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness.
Ketones: Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. But when the body can't use glucose for energy, it uses fat instead. When fats are broken down for energy, chemicals called ketones appear in the blood and urine. This can occur when not enough food has been eaten to provide glucose for energy, or it can occur in diabetes, when the body can't use glucose normally.
Kidney: The kidneys are a pair of organs that are found on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage in the back. Kidneys:
- filter waste materials out of the blood and pass them out of the body as urine
- regulate blood pressure and the levels of water, salts, and minerals in the body
- produce hormones that control other body functions
Damage to the kidneys can occur in people who have had diabetes for many years, particularly if the diabetes is not well controlled.
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Nephropathy: People who have had diabetes for many years can develop damage to small blood vessels and organs throughout the body. This is more likely to occur if the diabetes has not been well controlled. One organ that is commonly affected is the kidney. Nephropathy is a medical term for kidney disease. The type of kidney disease caused by diabetes is called diabetic nephropathy.
Neuropathy: Having diabetes for many years — especially if it's uncontrolled — can damage organs and systems throughout the body, including the nervous system. Neuropathy is a medical term for disease of the nervous system. The type of disease caused by diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy.
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Pancreas: The pancreas is a long, flat gland that lies in the abdomen behind the stomach. It produces enzymes that are released into the small intestine to help with digestion. It also contains clusters of cells called islets. The cells in these islets produce hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which help control the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
Polydipsia: A person with polydipsia drinks excessive amounts of fluid. In uncontrolled diabetes, polydipsia occurs when a person has high blood sugar levels. Some of this sugar is removed from the body by the kidneys. To do this, the kidneys produce more urine, requiring large amounts of water to leave the body. To avoid becoming dehydrated, the person becomes thirsty and drinks lots of water.
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Retinopathy: Retinopathy is the medical term for disease of the retina. People who have had diabetes for many years can develop damage to small blood vessels and organs throughout the body. This is more likely to occur if the diabetes has not been well controlled. One organ that can be affected is the retina, the lining of the back of the eye that senses light and is important for vision. The disease of the retina caused by diabetes is called diabetic retinopathy.
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Urinalysis: A urinalysis is a laboratory examination of a person's urine. Analyzing the urine's chemical contents — like sugar and protein — and the types and amounts of cells it contains, helps doctors diagnose a number of medical conditions including diabetes, urinary tract infections, and kidney diseases.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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