The Diabetes Dictionary

Type 1 Diabetes

A rare and more difficult condition to prepare for than its Type 2 counterpart. Formerly referred to as juvenile diabetes, it generally occurs before the age of 30, and comes on without warning.

In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system is unable to recognize the body’s insulin-producing cells as its own, and destroys them. This creates a shortage of glucose in the body’s cells, while leaving a build-up in the blood stream. People with Type 1 diabetes can experience various health problems including renal failure and heart disease if they do not take good care of their bodies.

Type 2 Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes, accounting for about 95 percent of all cases. The pancreas may not produce enough insulin, and the insulin may not work properly. The result is that the body’s cells can’t soak up enough glucose, so glucose stays in the blood. This can cause serious complications throughout the body, including heart disease; high blood pressure; and kidney, eye, and nerve damage. Once called adult-onset diabetes, type 2 is becoming increasingly common in children, possibly because kids are developing increasingly unhealthy habits.

Glucose

The body’s main source of energy. Glucose is also known as blood-sugar. When it accumulates in the blood, it makes blood stickier. This makes it harder for blood to flow, which deprives the body of oxygen and nutrients, hinders white blood cells in fighting infection, and makes dangerous blood clots more likely. Glucose also attaches to proteins all over the body and affects their function.

Insulin

A hormone produced in the pancreas that acts like a key, "unlocking" cells so that glucose can enter. In people with diabetes, the pancreas can’t keep up with the body’s demand for insulin.

Insulin resistance

A condition in which cells become less responsive to insulin. Boosting cells’ sensitivity to insulin overcomes this resistance, so insulin has a greater effect.

Fasting blood glucose (FBG)

The amount of glucose in your blood after not eating or drinking anything for at least eight hours before the FBG test. A blood-glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or greater indicates diabetes.

HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin test)

A test that measures your average blood-sugar level over the previous several months. It measures how much glucose has become attached to the protein hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. A score higher than 9 means you need more control; below 7 is acceptable; but less than 6, which is normal and ideal, is desirable.