Terms

Body Mass Index (BMI): A measure used to evaluate body weight relative to a person's height. BMI is used to find out if a person is underweight normal weight, over weight, over weight, or obese.

Carbohydrate: One of the three main nutrients in food. Foods that provide carbohydrate are starches, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and sugars.

Diabetes Educator : A diabetes educator has specialist skills to assist the person with diabetes to better understand their condition and how to achieve good diabetes management. Their role includes the provision of education for “What is Diabetes”, clinical care, blood glucose testing, medication and insulin, complications, sick day management and much more. Referral to a diabetes educator is crucial for you to understand why managing your diabetes is important. You should see a diabetes educator when you are first diagnosed and on a regular basis thereafter.

Dietitian: Person trained to provide advice on diet. Dieticians help provide good health through proper eating.

Endocrine Gland: A group of specialised cells that release hormones into the blood. For example, the islets in the pancreas, which secrete insulin, are endocrine glands.

Endocrinologist: A doctor who treats people who have endocrine gland problems such as Diabetes.

Fasting blood glucose test: A check of a person's blood glucose level after the person has not eaten for 8 to 12 hours (usually overnight). This test is used to diagnose pre-Diabetes and Diabetes. It is also used to monitor people with Diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes mellitus: A type of diabetes that develops only during pregnancy and usually disappears upon delivery, but increases the risk that the mother will develop diabetes later. GDM is managed with meal planning, activity and in some cases insulin.

Glucose: One of the simplest forms of sugar.

Glucose tablets: Chewable tablets made of pure glucose used for treating hypoglycaemia.

Glycaemic: refers to glucose in the blood

Glucagen: In the event of severe hypoglycaemia, you will need someone to give you an injection of glucagon. Patients with diabetes who are on insulin should have a GlucaGen® HypoKit. Make sure your family, friends and co-workers know where to find and how to use the injection kit. Teach them before an emergency arises.

GlucaGen® is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S.

Glycaemic Index (GI): A ranking of carbohydrate containing foods, based on the foods effect on blood glucose compared with a standard reference food.

Hyperglycaemia: Excessive blood glucose. Fasting hyperglycaemia is blood glucose above a desirable level after a person has fasted for at least 8 hours.

Hypoglycaemia: A condition that occurs when ones blood glucose is lower than normal.

Impaired fasting glucose (Pre-diabetes): A pre diabetes condition in which fasting blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Most people with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Impaired glucose tolerance (Pre-diabetes): A pre-diabetes condition where post meal blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. This may accompany impaired fasting glucose.

Insulin: A hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy. The beta cells of the pancreas make insulin. When the body cannot make enough insulin, insulin is taken by injection or through an insulin pump.

Insulin adjustment: A change in the amount of insulin a person with Diabetes takes based on factors such as meal planning, activity and blood glucose levels.

Insulin pen: A device for injecting insulin that looks like a fountain pen and hold replaceable cartridges of insulin. Also available in disposable form.

Insulin resistant: The body's inability to respond to and use the insulin it produces. Insulin resistance may be linked to obesity, hypertension, and high levels of fat in the blood.

Islet of Langerhans: the endocrine (i.e. hormone-producing) cells of the pancreas

Microalbuminuria: Small amounts of protein in the urine. The first sign of kidney damage (nephropathy) caused by many years of high blood glucose levels. Microalbuminuria is reversible if the blood glucose control is improved.

Islet of Langerhans: the endocrine (i.e. hormone-producing) cells of the pancreas

Microalbuminuria: Small amounts of protein in the urine. The first sign of kidney damage (nephropathy) caused by many years of high blood glucose levels. Microalbuminuria is reversible if the blood glucose control is improved.

Pancreas: An organ in the abdominal cavity that produces digestive enzymes (released into the intestines) and different hormones (released directly into the blood).

Postprandial hyperglycaemia is blood glucose above a desirable level 1 to 2 hours after eating.

Proteinuria: Protein in the urine due to permanent kidney damage (nephropathy) from having high blood glucose levels for many years.

Retinopathy: Eye damage caused by many years of high blood glucose levels.

Type 1 Diabetes: Diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin from the onset. It is caused by the pancreas not producing insulin, and is not preventable.

Type 2 Diabetes: Diabetes that initially can be treated with healthy eating and activity and later oral drugs and insulin. Is caused by an increased resistance to the insulin produced by the pancreas.