A1C – This is the gold standard blood sugar control test. It’ll give you a good indication of your average glucose levels over the past three months.
Beta Cells – These are the insulin making cells which an autoimmune reaction in type one diabetes kills off. They’re found in the pancreas and are the body’s only source of insulin.
Carbohydrates – The primary fuel source for our bodies. They’re most commonly found in foods like rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. They take the form of sugars or starches.
Double Diabetes – Suffering from both type one and type two diabetes. Becoming much more common in the USA today.
Gestational Diabetes – This is a form of diabetes which only occurs during a pregnancy and generally goes away after birth. It’s caused when the foetus increases the body’s resistance to insulin.
Glucose – Scientific term for sugar in the blood. Blood-sugar and blood-glucose are the same thing.
Hyperglycaemia – High levels of blood sugar which can lead to damage
Hypertension – High blood pressure
Hypoglycaemia – Low levels of blood sugar which can lead to coma and general fatigue
Insulin – Hormone which in generally produced in the pancreas and is used by the body to turn blood-sugar into fuel. Lack of or resistance to insulin is the cause of diabetes.
Microalbumin – A protein whose presence in urine could indicate diabetes related kidney damage.
Neuropathy – Damage done to the nervous system often caused by high levels of blood-sugar.
Pancreas – Small organ which produces insulin
Retinopathy – Retinal deterioration caused by high blood sugar.
Type 1 Diabetes – The less common of the two kinds, it’s generally diagnosed at childhood. It’s caused by an autoimmune reaction which makes the body kill off its own beta cells meaning no insulin can be produced.
Type 2 Diabetes – Believed to be commonly caused by obesity, this condition can appear at any age and occurs when the body becomes more resistant to insulin and lowers the hormones effectiveness. ¾ type two diabetics are obese.
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