Glossary of Diabetes Terms
A
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ACE Inhibitor |
A type of drug used to lower blood pressure. Studies indicate that it may also help prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes. |
| Acetohexamide |
A pill taken to lower the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Only some people with noninsulin-dependent diabetes take these pills. See also: Oral hypoglycemic agents. |
| Acetone |
A chemical formed in the blood when the body uses fat instead of glucose (sugar) for energy. If acetone forms, it usually means that the cells do not have enough insulin, or cannot use the insulin that is in the blood, to use glucose for energy. Acetone passes through the body into the urine. Someone with a lot of acetone in the body can have breath that smells fruity and is called "acetone breath." See also: Ketone bodies. |
| Acidosis |
Too much acid in the body. For a person with diabetes, this can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. See also: Diabetic ketoacidosis. |
| Acute |
Happens for a limited period of time; abrupt onset; sharp, severe. |
| Adrenal Glands |
Two organs that sit on top of the kidneys and make and release hormones such as adrenalin (epinephrine). This and other hormones, including insulin, control the body's use of glucose (sugar). |
| Adult-Onset Diabetes |
Former term for noninsulin-dependent or type II diabetes. See also: Noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. |
| Adverse Effect |
A harmful result. |
| Albuminuria |
More than normal amounts of a protein called albumin in the urine. Albuminuria may be a sign of kidney disease, a problem that can occur in people who have had diabetes for a long time. |
| Aldose Reductase Inhibitor |
A class of drugs being studied as a way to prevent eye and nerve damage in people with diabetes. Aldose reductase is an enzyme that is normally present in the eye and in many other parts of the body. It helps change glucose (sugar) into a sugar alcohol called sorbitol. Too much sorbitol trapped in eye and nerve cells can damage these cells, leading to retinopathy and neuropathy. Drugs that prevent or slow (inhibit) the action of aldose reductase are being studied as a way to prevent or delay these complications of diabetes. |
| Alpha Cell |
A type of cell in the pancreas (in areas called the islets of Langerhans). Alpha cells make and release a hormone called glucagon, which raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. |
| Amino Acid |
The building blocks of proteins; the main material of the body's cells. Insulin is made of 51 amino acids joined together. |
| Amyotrophy |
A type of diabetic neuropathy that causes muscle weakness and wasting. |
| Angiopathy |
Disease of the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries) that occurs when someone has diabetes for a long time. There are two types of angiopathy: macroangiopathy and microangiopathy. In macroangiopathy, fat and blood clots build up in the large blood vessels, stick to the vessel walls, and block the flow of blood. In microangiopathy, the walls of the smaller blood vessels become so thick and weak that they bleed, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood through the body. Then the cells, for example, the ones in the center of the eye, do not get enough blood and may be damaged. |