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Insulin:
a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body
use glucose. It is
the "key" that unlocks the "doors" to cells
and allows glucose to enter. Once inside,
glucose then fuels the cells.
Insulin
Resistance:
a condition in which
the body does not respond to insulin properly.
This is the most common cause of
type 2 diabetes.
Ketoacidosis
(or diabetic coma) a severe
condition caused by a lack of insulin or an elevation in
stress hormones. It is marked by high blood glucose levels
and ketones
in the urine, and occurs much more frequently
in those with type 1 diabetes.
Ketones:
acids produced when the body
breaks down fat for fuel. This occurs when there is not
enough insulin to permit glucose to enter the cells and
fuel them or when there are too many stress hormones.
mg/dl milligrams per deciliter. This is the
unit of measure used when referring to
blood glucose levels.
nephropathy kidney damage. This condition
can be life-threatening. When kidneys
fail to function, dialysis (filtering
blood through a machine) or kidney transplantation
becomes necessary.
Neuropathy:
damage to the nerves. Neuropathies are often broken down
into two categories. Peripheral neuropathies affect the
nerves controlling sensation (and less
commonly, muscles) in the feet, hands,
and joints. Autonomic neuropathies affect the nerve
function of various organs, including those of the
digestive system
and urinary tract.
Obesity:
an abnormal and excessive
amount of body fat. Most obese people
are significantly overweight. However,
obesity also occurs in people who are not
overweight, but have more body fat than |
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muscle. Obesity is considered a chronic illness. It is on
the rise and is a risk factor
for type 2 diabetes.
Oral
Agents:
(or oral hypoglycemic
agents) medications taken orally that are
designed to lower blood glucose. They are
used by some people with type 2 diabetes and are not to be
confused with insulin.
Pancreas:
a comma-shaped gland located
just behind the stomach. It produces
enzymes for digesting food and hormones that regulate the
use of fuels in the body,
including insulin and glucagon. In a fully functioning
pancreas, insulin is released through beta cells located
in clusters
called islets of Langerhans.
Pre-Diabetes:
blood glucose levels that
are higher than normal but not yet high
enough to be considered diabetic. Diagnosed
through either a fasting plasma glucose
test or an oral glucose tolerance test,
people with pre-diabetes are at a heightened
risk for type 2 diabetes. Even at this
stage, however, a healthy diet, weight loss, and exercise
can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
Protein:
one of three major sources
of calories in the diet. Protein provides the body with
material for building blood cells, body tissue, hormones,
and other important substances. It is found in meats,
eggs, milk, and certain vegetables and
starches.
Receptors:
molecules that sit on cell surfaces
and play a role in chemical "communication."
For example, insulin cannot
usher glucose into our cells unless the receptors
on the cells respond properly to it.
Retinopathy:
damage to small blood
vessels in the eye that can lead to vision
problems. In background retinopathy, the
blood vessels bulge and leak fluids into the retina, which
may cause blurred vision. Proliferative retinopathy is
more serious and can cause vision loss. In this condition,
new blood vessels form in the retina and branch out to
other areas of the eye. This can cause blood to leak into
the clear fluid inside the eye and can also
cause the retina to detach. |
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sugar
a form of carbohydrate that provides calories and
raises blood glucose levels. There are a variety of
sugars, such as white, brown, confectioner's, invert,
and raw. Fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose,
dextrose, glucose, honey, corn syrup, molasses, and
sorghum are also sugars.
sugar substitutes
sweeteners used in
place of sugar. Note that some sugar substitutes
have calories and will affect blood
glucose levels, such as fructose (a sugar,
but often used in "sugar-free" products) and sugar
alcohols like sorbitol and man-nitol. Others have very
few calories and will not affect blood glucose levels,
such as saccharin, acesulfame-K, aspartame
(NutraSweet), and sucralose (Splenda).
type 1 diabetes
a form of diabetes that
tends to develop before age 30 but may occur at any age.
It's caused by an immune system attack on the
insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. When the
cells are destroyed, the pancreas can no longer
produce insulin. People who have type 1
diabetes must take insulin to survive.
type 2 diabetes
This form of diabetes
usually occurs in people over 40 years of age but is
increasingly being diagnosed in
younger people, especially among minorities. Most
people who develop type 2 diabetes
are insulin resistant. However, some simply cannot
produce enough insulin to
meet their bodies' needs, and others have a combination
of these problems. Some people with type 2 diabetes
control the disease through diet and exercise, but most
must also take oral medications or
insulin.
Urine Tests: tests that measure substances
in the urine. Urine tests for ketones are the only
self-administered urine tests currently recommended for
people with
diabetes. They measure ketones in the
urine and are important in preventing
ketoacidosis.
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