Glossary
Adult-Onset Diabetes: Former term for noninsulin-dependent or type II diabetes.Cholesterol: A fat-like substance found in blood, muscle, liver, brain, and other tissues in people and animals. The body makes and needs some cholesterol. Too much cholesterol, however, may cause fat to build up in the artery walls and cause a disease that slows or stops the flow of blood. Butter and egg yolks are foods that have a lot of cholesterol.
Complications of diabetes: Harmful effects that may happen after a person has had poorly managed diabetes for a period of years. These complications include damage to the retina of the eye (retinopathy), to the blood vessels (angiopathy), to the nervous system (neuropathy), and to the kidneys (nephropathy). Studies have shown that maintaining strict control of blood glucose levels at near normal levels may help reduce, delay, or prevent these problems.
Complex carbohydrate: A substance that contains several sugar units linked together, such as starch.
Glycemic response: The effect of different foods on blood glucose (sugar) levels over a period of time. Researchers have discovered that some kinds of foods may raise blood glucose levels more quickly than other foods containing the same amount of carbohydrates.
Insulin: like growth factor 1 (IGF-1): A growth factor made predominantly in the liver; its levels increase in response to increased levels of GH.
Kidney disease: Any one of several chronic conditions that are caused by damage to the cells of the kidney. People who have had diabetes for a long time may have kidney damage. Also called nephropathy.
Numbness: The lack of sensation in a part of the body because of interruption of nerve impulses
Self (or home) blood glucose monitoring: A process by which blood sugars can be determined at home by pricking the finger, putting a drop of blood on a chemically treated test strip, and comparing the color changes to a chart.
Triglyceride: A complex molecule, made of fatty acids, which is the main component of dietary and body fat. A form of fat that the body can make from sugar, alcohol or excess calories.
