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Glossary

The words that show up on lab reports and in the clinic.

1

15-15 rule: The name of a simple approach commonly taught for correcting a blood sugar drop: about 15 grams of fast-absorbing carbohydrate, then a 15-minute wait and another check. The numbers in the name refer to the grams of carbohydrate and the waiting time, not a blood sugar value.(rule of 15, 15 rule, fifteen-fifteen rule)

A

Anti-GAD antibody: An antibody the immune system produces against GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase), an enzyme found in the insulin-producing cells. Detecting it in the blood points to the diabetes being autoimmune in origin; it's known as the islet antibody most often found in cases that begin in adulthood.(GAD antibodies, GAD65 antibody, anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase, islet antibody)
Autoimmune reaction: When the immune system targets the body's own tissue instead of a threat coming from outside. In type 1 diabetes, the target is the pancreas's insulin-producing cells. The process usually moves along silently; it may have begun years before symptoms appear.(autoimmunity, autoimmune process, autoimmune response, immune system attacking itself)

B

Basal insulin: A type of insulin whose effect is spread over a long period, designed to cover the steady, meal-independent insulin the body needs at all times. Its purpose is to keep blood sugar balanced in the background between meals and through the night.(long-acting insulin, background insulin, nighttime insulin)
Basal-bolus regimen: A treatment plan in which the day-long baseline insulin need is covered by a long-acting insulin, and the rise caused by meals is covered by a rapid-acting insulin given separately at each meal. It aims to mimic the secretion rhythm of a healthy pancreas.(MDI, multiple daily injections, intensive insulin therapy, basal bolus therapy)
Beta cell: The cell type found in the pancreas's islets of Langerhans that produces insulin and releases it into the blood when blood sugar rises. In type 1 diabetes these cells are destroyed by the immune system; in type 2 diabetes their function and numbers gradually decline over the years.(beta cells, β cell, islet cells, insulin-producing cells)
Blood glucose meter: A blood glucose meter is a small portable device that measures your sugar level at that moment from a drop of blood. It reads a blood sample placed on a single-use strip; most of today's devices do this electrochemically and show the result on the screen within seconds. It is the most common tool for at-home sugar tracking, and it gives a point-in-time value.(glucometer, glucose meter, blood sugar meter, sugar testing machine, finger stick meter)How do you check blood sugar at home? →
Bolus insulin: A rapid-acting insulin used at a specific moment, either to cover the effect of the carbohydrate in a meal on blood sugar or to bring a raised reading back down. Its effect starts quickly and wears off relatively fast.(mealtime insulin, rapid-acting insulin, short-acting insulin, bolus dose)

C

C-peptide: Insulin is made in the pancreas by cutting a precursor molecule called proinsulin; the connecting piece left over from that cut is called C-peptide. Because it's released into the blood in amounts equal to insulin, its level reflects how much insulin your body is producing on its own. Insulin given from outside doesn't raise this measurement.(C peptide, C-peptide test, connecting peptide)
Calibration code / meter code: A calibration code is the number, chip, or strip used by some glucose meters to tell the device the measurement setting specific to the production lot of the strip vial. With this information the device accounts for the strip's sensitivity. If the code and the vial don't match, the result can drift from the true value; some newer devices are made so that no code is needed.(meter code, strip code, code chip, no-code meter)
Carb counting: A method of estimating, in grams, the amount of carbohydrate to be eaten at a meal, using label information, measuring cups, and food tables. For people who use insulin, it lets the mealtime dose be matched to the carbohydrate in that meal; for those who don't use insulin, it makes portion tracking easier.(carbohydrate counting, counting carbs, carb count)Does what I eat matter more than how much? →
Carbohydrate: The collective name for the sugar, starch, and fiber in food. During digestion, carbohydrates other than fiber are largely broken down into glucose and pass into the blood; that's why carbohydrate is the nutrient that affects blood sugar more noticeably than fat or protein. Bread, rice, fruit, milk, and sweets are its main sources.(carbs, carbohydrates, starches and sugars)Which foods raise blood sugar? →
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM): Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a method that measures the glucose in tissue fluid at regular intervals throughout the day using a small sensor placed under the skin. Unlike one-off readings, it shows the direction and speed of change and produces continuous data, including overnight. The sensor is replaced with a new one at the end of a set wear period.(CGM, glucose sensor, continuous glucose monitor, arm sensor)

D

Dawn phenomenon: A rise in blood sugar toward waking hours, without anything being eaten, caused by hormones like growth hormone and cortisol increasing in the early morning and speeding up the liver's release of sugar. In people without diabetes, insulin needs also rise at these hours, but because their insulin secretion keeps up, no rise appears.(dawn effect, morning high blood sugar, early morning sugar rise)
Diabetes burnout: A picture described in three dimensions in the face of the unending demands of diabetes care: exhaustion, meaning no energy left to keep the care going; detachment, meaning pulling away from the care and from the illness identity; and loss of control. Its tie to distress is strong, and detachment is the dimension that carries the difference. Distress asks where the burden comes from; burnout asks what the burden does to the person.(burnout, diabetes fatigue, tired of managing diabetes, checked out from diabetes care)
Diabetes distress: The feeling of exhaustion, overwhelm, and hopelessness that forms in the face of the never-ending demands of living with diabetes. The constant upkeep that checking, eating, and medication routines demand, worry about complications, or the sense of not reaching targets all feed it. It's defined as separate from depression, and the two can occur together; it's common among people living with diabetes and can make keeping up self-care harder.(diabetes overwhelm, emotional burden of diabetes, diabetes-related distress)
Diabetes mellitus: The medical name for the group of chronic metabolic diseases defined by persistently high blood sugar. What they all share is that insulin either isn't produced in sufficient amounts or, even when it is, can't act on the body as it should. The name comes from the Greek word for "passing through" and the Latin word for "honeyed"; it points to sugar being found in the urine.(diabetes, sugar diabetes, high blood sugar disease)What is diabetes, and what happens in the body? →
Diabetes nurse educator: A diabetes nurse educator is a nurse with additional training in teaching people living with diabetes how to manage the condition day to day. They give hands-on instruction on topics like using meters, injection technique, foot care, and recognizing the signs of low blood sugar; they form the education arm of the care team.(diabetes nurse, diabetes educator, certified diabetes educator, CDE)
Diabetic foot: The whole set of foot problems in diabetes set up jointly by nerve damage and poor circulation in the leg vessels. With reduced sensation, pressure, rubbing, or a small injury can go unnoticed; with weakened blood flow, healing slows, and calluses, cracks, or open sores (ulcers) can develop. That's why a foot exam is considered a regular part of diabetes follow-up.(diabetic foot ulcer, foot sores from diabetes, diabetes foot problems)
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): An emergency that develops when insulin falls severely short: cells burn fat instead of sugar, ketones build up, and the blood turns acidic. High blood sugar, nausea, vomiting, belly pain, deep and rapid breathing, and a fruity smell on the breath are the typical signs.(DKA, ketoacidosis, keto acidosis)
Diabetic nephropathy: Kidney disease caused by diabetes: blood sugar and blood pressure staying high for a long time wear down the kidney's microscopic filtering units (glomeruli). The common early sign is more albumin protein than normal leaking into the urine; in some people, filtering power declines without albumin rising. Because it can progress silently, it's tracked with urine and blood tests.(nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease, kidney damage from diabetes, DKD)
Diabetic neuropathy: Nerve damage that develops when blood sugar that runs high for a long time in diabetes wears down the nerves. Its most common form is a loss of sensation that starts in the feet, moves upward, and affects both sides together; it can be felt as numbness, tingling, burning, or pain. Because reduced sensation lets injuries go unnoticed, it also matters for foot health.(nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy, numb feet, tingling in feet)
Diabetic retinopathy: Eye involvement that develops when long-running high blood sugar wears down the fine vessels of the retina, the mesh-like layer at the back of the eye. Vessels can leak, become blocked, or fragile new vessels can form. In its early stages it usually causes no symptoms, which is why it's caught through regular eye screenings.(retinopathy, diabetic eye disease, eye damage from diabetes, diabetes eye problems)
DPP-4 inhibitor: A drug class that slows down DPP-4, the enzyme that breaks down incretin hormones. This keeps the GLP-1 released after a meal active for longer; meal-related insulin secretion goes up and glucagon secretion goes down. Sitagliptin, vildagliptin, and linagliptin are in this class; they generally have no effect on weight.(gliptins, sitagliptin, Januvia)How many groups do diabetes medications fall into? →

E

eAG (estimated average glucose): The estimated equivalent of an HbA1c result, converted into the unit used for daily blood sugar readings. Instead of an abstract number like a percentage or mmol/mol, it gives an average value in the same form you see on your meter. It doesn't require a new blood draw; it's calculated from the HbA1c result using a relationship derived from studies.(estimated average glucose, average glucose, eAG, A1c average)What is HbA1c, and why the three-month name? →
eGFR (kidney filtration rate): An estimate of how fast the kidneys filter the blood, calculated from the creatinine level in the blood along with details like age and sex. Because it isn't measured directly, the e at the front stands for estimated. It's one of the core values used to track how kidney function changes over time.(estimated glomerular filtration rate, kidney filtration rate, GFR, kidney function test)
Endocrinologist: An endocrinologist is a physician who deals with diseases of the hormone-producing organs, with additional specialty training on top of internal medicine. Diabetes, thyroid disease, and other hormone disorders fall within this field; in diabetes care, adjusting the treatment plan and evaluating complex situations is usually handled by this specialty.(hormone doctor, diabetes specialist, diabetes doctor, endocrine specialist)

F

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG): The sugar level measured, after separating the plasma, in blood drawn from an arm vein after going without food overnight. It reflects the body's baseline sugar balance when it is not under a meal load. It is one of the most commonly used laboratory measurements in screening for diabetes and prediabetes; unlike single at-home readings, the result is obtained under standard laboratory conditions.(FPG, fasting blood sugar, fasting glucose, fasting blood glucose test)What do fasting and post-meal blood sugar measure? →
Fiber: A type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that human digestive enzymes can't break down. Soluble fiber thickens the contents of the gut, slowing stomach emptying and the absorption of sugars; insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and supports regular bowel habits. Vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains are rich sources.(dietary fiber, roughage, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber)
Fructose: A simple sugar found in fruit, honey, and some corn syrups; half of table sugar is fructose as well. Because most of it is processed in the liver after entering the blood, it doesn't raise blood sugar as quickly as glucose, yet it still counts toward energy and carbohydrate.(fruit sugar, levulose)
Fundus exam (dilated eye exam): An examination of the back of the eye (the retina, its vessels, and the head of the optic nerve) with a special light or a retinal camera; the pupil is usually widened first with drops. In diabetes, it's the main screening method for catching vessel changes while vision is still unaffected.(dilated eye exam, retinal exam, fundoscopy, ophthalmoscopy, diabetic eye screening)

G

Gestational diabetes: High blood sugar detected for the first time, usually in the second half of pregnancy, and not explained by diabetes known before the pregnancy. It's linked to placental hormones weakening insulin's effect and usually goes away after delivery. The likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in later years is higher.(pregnancy diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy, GDM)
GLP-1 receptor agonist: A drug class that mimics the effect of GLP-1, a hormone the gut releases with meals. It increases insulin secretion in response to meals, reduces glucagon, slows stomach emptying, and strengthens the feeling of fullness. Semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide are in this class; reduced appetite and weight loss are common.(GLP-1 analog, incretin mimetic, weight loss injection, semaglutide, Ozempic)
Glucagon: A hormone released by the alpha cells of the pancreas whose effect makes it insulin's counterpart. When blood sugar starts to drop, it signals the liver to convert its glycogen store into glucose, sending sugar into the blood. It also comes in forms prepared as medication.(glucagon hormone, glucagon shot, glucagon kit)
Glucagon injection: A form of glucagon, the hormone that makes the liver release its stored sugar into the blood, given from outside the body during blood sugar drops so severe that nothing can be taken by mouth. It comes as prefilled syringes and pens; there is also a powder form given through the nose.(glucagon kit, emergency glucagon, rescue glucagon, glucagon shot)
Glucose: A simple sugar that circulates in the blood and serves as the main fuel for your cells. It's released as the carbohydrates in food are digested and passes into the blood; in many tissues, such as muscle and fat, its uptake into cells depends on insulin. When people talk about the amount in the blood, everyday language calls it blood sugar.(blood sugar, blood glucose, dextrose, grape sugar)What is diabetes, and what happens in the body? →
Glycemic index (GI): A scale that compares the blood sugar rise caused by foods containing equal amounts of carbohydrate, with a reference food set at 100; the measurement is based on the response over the two hours after eating. Foods with low values cause a smaller rise. Cooking time, ripeness, and the fat and fiber in the meal can change the value.(GI, glycaemic index, GI value)
Glycemic variability: Glycemic variability is the concept that describes how much blood sugar fluctuates within a day and from day to day. Two records with the same average can show very different ups and downs, which is why the width of the swings is evaluated alongside the average. It is quantified with statistics like standard deviation and coefficient of variation.(blood sugar swings, glucose fluctuations, sugar spikes and dips)

H

HbA1c: A laboratory test that shows the proportion of the hemoglobin protein in the blood that has sugar attached to it. This trace, which builds up over the lifespan of red blood cells, gives information about the average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. Because it looks at the long term rather than a single moment, it is used both in diagnosis and in follow-up.(A1c, glycated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, three-month sugar test)What is HbA1c, and why the three-month name? →
Hyperglycemia: When blood sugar rises above the target range. Symptoms like heavy thirst, frequent urination, dry mouth, tiredness, and blurred vision can come along with it. Not enough insulin, inactivity, infection, stress, and more carbohydrate than expected are common causes.(high blood sugar, sugar spike, elevated blood sugar, high glucose)
Hypoglycemia: When blood sugar drops below your target range. It can show up with symptoms like shaking, sweating, palpitations, sudden hunger, paleness, and trouble concentrating; with deeper drops, confusion can occur. Mild drops are usually reversed with fast-absorbing carbohydrate.(low blood sugar, hypo, sugar crash, blood sugar drop)How can you tell your blood sugar is dropping? →
Hypoglycemia unawareness: The condition where the warning signs the body normally gives when blood sugar drops (shaking, sweating, and a racing heart) are not felt, or are noticed too late. Because frequent lows blunt this warning response, a drop is often caught only by checking your blood sugar.(impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, silent hypoglycemia, not feeling lows, hypo unawareness)How can you tell your blood sugar is dropping? →

I

IFCC unit (mmol/mol): The international unit in which the HbA1c result is given in mmol/mol. Because it uses a different number scale than the percentage format, the same result appears as a much larger number in this unit. There is a fixed conversion relationship between the two units; the numbers differ, but what is measured is the same.(mmol/mol, IFCC, SI unit)
Insulin: A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the glucose in your blood enter your cells. Its release rises after meals; it enables muscle and fat tissue to take glucose in, and has the excess stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle. It's known as the main hormone that lowers blood sugar.(insulin hormone, blood sugar hormone)What is insulin and what does it do? →
Insulin pen: A device that carries insulin in a pen-shaped body and delivers it under the skin through a thin needle attached to the tip. Its dose dial moves in units; there are prefilled ready-to-use types and types with replaceable cartridges.(pen injector, injection pen, prefilled pen)
Insulin pump: A small wearable device that delivers insulin continuously and programmably through a thin cannula placed under the skin. On top of the baseline amount flowing throughout the day, extra can be given for meals; some models work together with glucose-sensing sensors.(pump therapy, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, CSII, insulin pump therapy)
Insulin resistance: When muscle, fat, and liver cells no longer respond to insulin's signal the way they used to. To get the same job done, the pancreas releases more insulin; as long as this compensation is enough, blood sugar can look normal. It's one of the core mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes.(insulin insensitivity, reduced insulin sensitivity)

K

Ketones: Compounds the liver makes by breaking down fat when the body can't use sugar well enough for energy; they can serve as a backup fuel. Forming in small amounts during long fasting is normal; when insulin is lacking, they build up and upset the blood's acid balance. They can be measured in both blood and urine.(ketone bodies, ketones in urine, ketonuria, acetone in urine)
Ketones in urine: The detection in urine of substances called ketones, which form when the body turns to burning fat instead of sugar for energy. It can also appear after going without food for a long time; it's a finding that gets monitored because, when insulin is insufficient, ketones can build up and make the blood acidic. A urine strip catches only some ketone types, not all of them, so it doesn't give the same information as a blood ketone test.(ketonuria, urine ketones, ketone strip, ketone test)

L

LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults): A form of diabetes that begins in adulthood and, though autoimmune in origin, is often confused with type 2 diabetes because that's what it looks like at first. Insulin production declines slowly over months or years; the presence of islet antibodies in the blood is its distinguishing feature.(latent autoimmune diabetes, type 1.5 diabetes, slow-onset type 1 diabetes, adult autoimmune diabetes)
Lancet: A lancet is a single-use, sterile, fine-tipped needle that draws a very small amount of blood from the fingertip. It is usually loaded into a spring-loaded pen device; the device pricks the tip at a set depth to form the drop. It is made for one use only: reusing it dulls the tip and creates a risk of contamination.(finger prick needle, lancing needle, finger stick needle, blood sampling needle)How do you check blood sugar at home? →
Lipid panel: A blood test that measures the fats in the blood as a group; it includes items such as total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Because blood fats are often affected when blood sugar balance is disrupted, it's ordered at regular intervals in diabetes care and counts as part of assessing blood vessel health.(blood fats, cholesterol test, lipid profile, cholesterol panel)
Lipohypertrophy: A raised area you can feel with your hand, formed when the fatty tissue under the skin thickens and hardens as a result of injecting insulin into the same spot again and again. Because insulin absorption from this area can become unpredictable, blood sugar may run differently than expected.(injection site lumps, insulin lumps, fatty lumps at injection sites)

M

Metformin: An active substance in the biguanide class. It reduces the amount of glucose the liver releases into the blood and increases the muscles' sensitivity to insulin. It's widely used as the first step of treatment in type 2 diabetes; because it doesn't stimulate insulin secretion, it has a low tendency to push blood sugar below target when used on its own, and it doesn't cause weight gain.(biguanide, Glucophage, metformin hydrochloride)
mg/dL: mg/dL is a unit of measurement used in blood sugar results; it tells how many milligrams of glucose are in one deciliter of blood. In part of the world, reports are given in this unit. The same result in mmol/L is roughly eighteen times smaller, which is why the numbers in the two units don't look alike.(milligrams per deciliter, mg/dl)
Microalbuminuria: The presence of more albumin protein in the urine than normal, but in an amount too small for a routine urine test to catch. It's considered one of the early signs of damage to the kidneys' filtering units, and because it can be detected before any symptoms appear, it's checked regularly in diabetes care. Current kidney guidelines prefer the name "moderately increased albuminuria" for this finding.(albumin in urine, albuminuria, microalbumin, moderately increased albuminuria)
mmol/L: mmol/L is a unit of measurement used in blood sugar results; it tells how many millimoles of glucose are in one liter of blood, that is, the amount of the substance. In many countries this is the reporting standard. The same result in mg/dL is roughly eighteen times larger; a number given without its unit can be misread.(millimoles per liter, mmol/l)
Monofilament test: A simple exam that measures whether protective touch sensation on the sole of the foot is intact. A standard 10-gram flexible nylon filament is pressed against set points just hard enough to bend, and the check is whether the touch is felt. Not feeling it points to nerve damage that raises the risk of foot sores.(foot sensation test, 10-gram monofilament test, Semmes-Weinstein test, protective sensation test)

N

NGSP/DCCT unit (%): The unit in which the HbA1c result is expressed as a percentage. It takes its name from the NGSP program, which standardized the measurement, and the DCCT study the results are anchored to. The percentage format is widely used; the same result can also be written in mmol/mol, some laboratories report both units together, and what is measured is the same in both.(percent unit, DCCT unit, NGSP, A1c percentage)
Nutrition facts label: The table on packaged foods showing the amounts of energy, fat, carbohydrate, the sugar portion of that carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and salt. Values are usually given per 100 grams, per 100 milliliters, or per serving. What matters for blood sugar is not just the sugar line but the total carbohydrate amount.(nutrition label, food label, nutrition facts panel)

O

OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test): A test in which, after a fasting measurement, you drink a standard amount of sugary liquid and your blood is measured again at set intervals. It shows, step by step, how the body responds to a sudden sugar load. It is one of the methods used to evaluate prediabetes, diabetes, and high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy.(oral glucose tolerance test, glucose tolerance test, sugar drink test)
Oral diabetes medication (OAD): The general name for medicines taken by mouth that help lower blood sugar, generally used in type 2 diabetes. These medicines fall into groups that work in different ways: some increase insulin secretion, some reduce insulin resistance, and some change how sugar is passed out in urine or absorbed from the gut.(OAD, diabetes pills, diabetes tablets, oral antidiabetic drugs, oral hypoglycemics)How many groups do diabetes medications fall into? →

P

Pancreas: A glandular organ behind the stomach that handles two separate jobs at once. On one side it produces digestive enzymes and delivers them to the intestine; on the other, in cell clusters called the islets of Langerhans, it makes hormones like insulin and glucagon and releases them directly into the blood.(pancreas gland, pancreatic gland)What is insulin and what does it do? →
Polydipsia: Polydipsia means an urge to drink far more water than usual, in other words, excessive thirst. In diabetes the body loses extra water through urine, so the feeling of thirst grows stronger; even after taking in fluids, dry mouth and thirst return before long. It's among the early symptoms.(excessive thirst, constant thirst, always thirsty, extreme thirst)
Polyuria: Polyuria means the amount of urine the kidneys produce rises well above the usual level. In diabetes, the excess sugar building up in the blood passes into the urine and pulls water along with it; that's why both urine volume and trips to the bathroom increase. It's among the first symptoms of the disease people notice.(frequent urination, peeing a lot, excessive urination, urinating often)
Portion: The amount of food or drink consumed at one time. The serving size printed on a package is a reference amount set by the manufacturer and doesn't have to match what you actually put on your plate; this distinction is one of the most common reasons the carbohydrate information on a label gets misread.(portion size, serving size, serving)
Postprandial blood sugar: The blood sugar value measured a set amount of time after starting a meal. It shows how quickly the carbohydrate you ate passes into the blood and how well the body can handle that load. Cases where the fasting reading looks normal while post-meal values run high are caught with this measurement.(post-meal blood sugar, after-meal glucose, PPG, 2-hour blood sugar)
Prediabetes: The in-between state where blood sugar rises above the range considered normal but hasn't reached the threshold for a diabetes diagnosis. It produces no symptoms on its own and usually shows up in a blood test. It doesn't progress to diabetes in everyone; studies have shown it can reverse when daily habits change.(borderline diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, prediabetic)
Premixed insulin: A rapid- or short-acting insulin combined with a slower, longer-acting insulin in a single pen or vial at a preset ratio. It aims to cover both the post-meal rise and the background baseline need with the same injection; because the ratio is fixed, the two components can't be adjusted separately.(premix insulin, mixed insulin, biphasic insulin, 70/30 insulin)

R

Reference range: The band printed next to your result on a lab report; it's built by lining up the measurements of a group considered healthy and cutting off both ends. A result that falls outside the band reports a position, not a disease. A decision limit is separate from this: it's set not by where the healthy distribution ends, but by the medical decision recommended beyond it. The band shifts with the laboratory; the decision limit doesn't.(normal range, normal values, lab reference interval)How do you read a lab result sheet? →

S

SGLT-2 inhibitor: A drug class that blocks the transporter protein that reabsorbs glucose in the kidney tubules; the glucose that isn't reabsorbed leaves the body in the urine. Alongside blood sugar, a slight drop in weight and blood pressure is seen. Protective effects have been shown in heart failure and kidney disease; dapagliflozin and empagliflozin are in this class.(gliflozins, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, Jardiance, Farxiga)How many groups do diabetes medications fall into? →
Sick day rules: A ready-made plan that lays out how diabetes care changes during periods of illness that come along (an infection, fever, or vomiting). It usually covers checking more often, testing for ketones, taking in fluids, not stopping insulin, and temporarily pausing certain medications.(sick day plan, sick day guidelines, managing diabetes when sick)
Simple sugar: Carbohydrates made up of one or two sugar units; glucose, fructose, table sugar (sucrose), and milk sugar (lactose) are in this group. Because their structure is short, they finish digesting quickly and are generally absorbed faster than long-chain carbohydrates like starch.(sugar, fast-acting sugar, monosaccharide, disaccharide, sucrose)
Sugar alcohol (polyol): Carbohydrates such as sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, and erythritol that taste like sugar but can't be fully converted into energy by the body. They provide less energy than sugar and raise blood sugar less. The part that reaches the large intestine can cause gas and loose stools when too much is taken in.(polyol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol)
Sugar in urine (glycosuria): Sugar passing into the urine when the amount in the blood exceeds the kidneys' capacity to reabsorb it. The kidneys normally return almost all sugar to the blood; finding it in urine usually suggests blood sugar has been running high. It doesn't diagnose anything on its own; since some drug classes, such as SGLT-2 inhibitors, also cause sugar to be passed in urine, it's evaluated together with blood measurements.(glycosuria, glucose in urine, sugar in pee, glucosuria)
Sulfonylurea: A drug class that stimulates the beta cells in the pancreas to release more insulin; glimepiride, gliclazide, and glyburide are in this class. Because its effect doesn't depend on the current blood sugar level, blood sugar dropping below the target range and weight gain are seen more often with this class than with others.(sulfonylureas, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide)
Sweetener: Substances that give foods and drinks a sweet taste without using sugar. Because intense sweeteners are used in very small amounts, they generally provide no energy and don't raise blood sugar the way sugar does. Aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and the steviol glycosides obtained from the stevia plant are in this group.(artificial sweetener, sugar substitute, zero-calorie sweetener, stevia)

T

Target range / time in range: A target range is the range of values, defined by a lower and an upper limit, that a person's blood sugar is meant to stay within; the limits are set individually based on age, pregnancy, and accompanying conditions. Time in range is the percentage of time the measurement data stays inside this range, most often calculated from sensor data.(TIR, time in range, glucose target, target blood sugar range)
Test strip: A test strip is a single-use measuring strip that plugs into the glucose meter and draws in the blood drop. The enzyme layer on it reacts with the glucose in the blood, and the small electrical signal that forms is converted into a value by the device. Strips are sensitive to humidity, temperature, and expiration dates; each meter works only with its own compatible strip.(glucose test strip, blood sugar strip, meter strips, glucose strips)How do you check blood sugar at home? →
Type 1 diabetes: The type of diabetes in which the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leaving the body unable to make its own insulin. It most often begins in childhood or young adulthood, but it can appear at any age. It requires insulin given from outside for life.(T1D, insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, type 1)
Type 2 diabetes: The type that develops when insulin resistance and a pancreas unable to meet the rising demand for insulin come together, and the most common form of diabetes. It settles in quietly and may cause no symptoms for a long time. Genetic predisposition, weight, diet, and inactivity all contribute to the picture together.(T2D, adult-onset diabetes, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, type 2)

U

Unit (IU): The unit of measurement for insulin amounts; it's an international measure defined by potency rather than volume. The scales on insulin pens and syringes are marked in this unit, so amounts are expressed in the same language across different products.(IU, international unit, insulin unit)

W

White coat hypertension: The name for the pattern where blood pressure measured at the office runs high while home readings spread over days run normal. Its opposite is masked hypertension: looking normal at the office, reading high at home. A single home reading differing from the office one establishes neither; the distinction emerges when readings spread across days point the same way.(white coat effect, white coat syndrome, high blood pressure only at the doctor's office)

Sources

This piece is for information only; it is not a diagnosis, treatment or dosing recommendation. Always make decisions about your treatment together with your doctor.

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