Glossary

There are a lot of words associated with diabetes that you may not have heard before. To help you, here are simple explanations of some of the terms that you may hear:

Blood pressure
The measure of pressure in the blood circulating within the arteries

Blood sugar
More correctly known as blood glucose. When a food containing carbohydrates (eg pasta, bread, potatoes) is eaten, the carbohydrates are digested and converted into a simpler form of sugar (glucose) that is carried in the blood. Insulin then converts the glucose into energy that can be used by the cells to function properly.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
A measurement of assessing body weight in relation to height

Carbohydrate
The collective name for sugars and starches found in foods such as pasta, bread, potatoes and rice, which is then converted into energy within the body

Cardiovascular disease
The collective term for all diseases of the heart and circulatory system, including coronary heart disease. People with diabetes are much more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Cholesterol
A fat-like substance in the body that is used by the body for many purposes, including healthy growth of the cells and production of hormones. If cholesterol levels are too high however, then there is a greater risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease

Diabetes
A condition caused when the body is unable to produce or use insulin to process the glucose (sugar) in the blood properly and so the level of glucose in the blood is too high for good health

Diabetes Prevention Forum
The European group of experts in pre-diabetes, working to improve the health and lives of all people at risk of getting pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Diabetes Specialist Nurse
A nurse who specialises in the care of people with diabetes

Diabetologist
A doctor who specialises in the care of people with diabetes

Dietitian
A healthcare professional who specialises in food and nutrition, including weight control, healthy eating, and dietary management of diseases such as diabetes

Dyslipidaemia
The medical term for a disturbance in the levels of fat (also known as lipids and usually raised) in the blood

Glucose
Also known as sugar. When a food containing carbohydrates (such as pasta, bread, potatoes or rice) is eaten, the carbohydrates are digested and converted into glucose that is carried in the blood. Insulin then converts the glucose into energy that can be used by the cells to function properly

Hormone
A substance produced in the body and released into the blood. The hormone is then taken to another part of the body to help it to function properly. For example, insulin is released in one of the body’s organs (the pancreas) however it works throughout the body to process glucose into energy

Hyperglycaemia
The term used when the level of blood glucose isn’t well controlled and becomes too high Hypertension The medical term for high blood pressure

Hypoglycaemia (‘hypo’)
The term used when the level of blood glucose isn’t well controlled and becomes too low

Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG)
The term used for one of the conditions in which the glucose isn’t being used properly. The blood glucose level is higher than normal after an overnight fast but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes

Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)
The term used for one of the conditions in which the glucose isn’t being used properly. The blood glucose level is higher than normal after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Insulin
This is the hormone that is responsible for processing glucose taken in through food, and converts it into energy that the body’s cells can use to function properly

Insulin resistance
The term used for when the body can make insulin, however cannot use it properly to convert glucose into energy

Lipid
A term used for the fats, such as cholesterol, which provide energy to the body.

Pancreas
The organ in the body which contains Islet cells which are responsible for producing the hormone insulin, which helps to convert glucose (sugar) into energy

Pre-diabetes
A condition in which the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes

Type 1 diabetes
A form of diabetes caused when the body cannot produce insulin (which converts glucose into energy). Treatment is through a healthy diet, insulin injections and regular exercise

Type 2 diabetes
A form of diabetes caused when the body cannot produce insulin adequately or can’t use it properly to convert glucose into energy. Treatment is through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Some people may also need diabetes tablets or insulin injections to help control their glucose levels