Diabetes Care Glossary
A1C
A laboratory test that measures your average blood sugar level over the last 2 to
3 months. Also called HbA1C, Hemoglobin A1C and Glycohemoglobin testing.
Carbohydrate
Sugars made up of oxygen and hydrogen that your body gets from starchy and fibrous
foods, and uses for energy.
Cesarean section
Also known as a C-section. Surgical delivery of a baby through an incision made
in the mother's abdomen and then her uterus.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver that helps your cells function. Your
body makes all the cholesterol it needs.
Dermatologist
A healthcare professional who specializes in caring for your skin.
Diabetes
A condition that causes your body to make little insulin or not use insulin properly.
Diabetologist
A healthcare professional who specializes in caring for people with diabetes.
Endocrinologist
A healthcare professional who specializes in treating endocrine glands, like the
pancreas which is responsible for making insulin.
Gestational diabetes
High blood sugar that occurs ONLY in pregnant women who do not already have diabetes.
Glucagon
A hormone made by the pancreas that can be given by injection to make your liver
produce glucose in order to raise your blood sugar.
Glucose
The sugar made by your body from the food you eat.
Glycohemoglobin
A laboratory test that measures your average blood sugar level over the last 2 to
3 months. Also called A1C, HbA1C and Hemoglobin A1C testing.
HbA1C
A laboratory test that measures your average blood sugar level over the last 2 to
3 months. Also called A1C, Hemoglobin A1C and Glycohemoglobin testing.
HDL
High-density lipoprotein, known as the "good cholesterol" because it carries
away the sticky (LDL) cholesterol.
Hemoglobin
A protein inside your red blood cells. It is the part of the red blood cell that
carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Hemoglobin also carries
sugar, because sugars can stick to all kinds of proteins in your body.
Hemoglobin A1C testing
A laboratory test that tells your average blood sugar level over the last 2 to 3
months. Also called A1C, HbA1C and Glycohemoglobin testing.
Hyperglycemia
High blood sugar.
Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar.
Insulin
A hormone made by beta cells inside the pancreas. With each meal, beta cells release
insulin to help the body use or store the blood glucose it gets from food.
Juvenile diabetes
A condition that usually occurs in children and young adults, and causes your body
to make little or no insulin. Also called Type 1 diabetes.
Ketoacidosis
A medical emergency that can lead to coma or death and is caused by too many ketones
in your bloodstream.
Ketone
A type of acid left over when your body burns some of its own fat for fuel because
it can't get enough sugar (glucose) to use for energy.
LDL
Low-density lipoprotein, known as the "bad cholesterol" because it sticks
to the walls of your blood vessels.
Lipid profile
A series of lab tests including LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
Lipids
Blood fats.
Macrosomia
Large baby. A condition possible with gestational diabetes due to extra insulin
and sugar, which cause the baby to grow bigger than normal.
mg/dL
The standard way to measure blood sugar in the United States. mg/dL means milligrams
per deciliter, which is one thousandth of a gram per tenth of a liter.
Podiatrist
A healthcare professional who specializes in caring for your feet. Also called a
foot doctor.
Polyhydramnios
A condition possible with gestational diabetes that results in too much amniotic
fluid, which is the liquid inside the uterus. The uterus is the part of the body
that holds the baby during pregnancy. Polyhydramnios can cause the baby to be born
too soon.
Preeclampsia
A condition possible with gestational diabetes that causes high blood pressure;
protein in the urine; swelling in the face, hands and feet; and greater weight gain.
Also called toxemia.
Protein
Amino acids that your body gets from foods like eggs, fish and meat, and uses for
energy and to build and repair tissues.
Triglycerides
Another kind of fat in your blood that can go up after you eat a high-fat meal.
Type 1 diabetes
A condition that usually occurs in children and young adults, and causes your body
to make little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, which means
that the body makes antibodies against itself. Also called Juvenile Diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
A condition that usually occurs in people over the age of 40, and causes your body
to make less insulin or your cells to resist the insulin that it makes. Type 2 diabetes
is a metabolic disease, which means it affects how energy is used in the body.
Urinary tract infection
An infection that is caused by bacteria in one of the tracts through which urine
passes.