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Diabetes
Dictionary Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P R S T U
V X
Pancreas
An organ behind the
lower part of the stomach that is about the size of a hand.
It makes insulin so that the body can use glucose (sugar) for
energy. It also makes enzymes that help the body digest food.
Spread all over the pancreas are areas called the islets of
Langerhans. The cells in these areas each have a special purpose.
The alpha cells make glucagon, which raises the level of glucose
in the blood; the beta cells make insulin; the delta cells make
somatostatin. There are also the PP cells and the D1 cells,
about which little is known.
Pancreas
Transplant
A surgical procedure
that involves replacing the pancreas of a person who has diabetes
with a healthy pancreas that can make insulin. The healthy pancreas
comes from a donor who has just died or from a living relative.
A person can donate half a pancreas and still live normally.
At present, pancreas
transplants are usually performed in persons with insulin-dependent
diabetes who have severe complications. This is because after
the transplant the patient must take immunosuppressive drugs
that are highly toxic and may cause damage to the body.
Pancreatectomy
A procedure in which
a surgeon takes out the pancreas.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation (pain,
tenderness) of the pancreas; it can make the pancreas stop working.
It is caused by drinking too much alcohol, by disease in the
gallbladder, or by a virus.
Peak Action
The time period when
the effect of something is as strong as it can be such as when
insulin in having the most effect on lowering the glucose (sugar)
in the blood.
Pediatric
Endocrinologist
A doctor who sees
and treats children with problems of the endocrine glands; diabetes
is an endocrine disorder. See also: Endocrine glands.
Periodontal
Disease
Damage to the gums.
People who have diabetes are more likely to have gum disease
than people who do not have diabetes.
Periodontist
A specialist in the
treatment of diseases of the gums.
Peripheral
Neuropathy
Nerve damage, usually
affecting the feet and legs; causing pain, numbness, or a tingling
feeling. Also called "somatic neuropathy" or "distal sensory
polyneuropathy."
Peripheral
Vascular Disease (PVD)
Disease in the large
blood vessels of the arms, legs, and feet. People who have had
diabetes for a long time may get this because major blood vessels
in their arms, legs, and feet are blocked and these limbs do
not receive enough blood. The signs of PVD are aching pains
in the arms, legs, and feet (especially when walking) and foot
sores that heal slowly. Although people with diabetes cannot
always avoid PVD, doctors say they have a better chance of avoiding
it if they take good care of their feet, do not smoke, and keep
both their blood pressure and diabetes under good control. See
also: Macrovascular disease.
Peritoneal
Dialysis
A way to clean the
blood of people who have kidney disease. See also: Dialysis.
Pharmacist
A person trained
to prepare and distribute medicines and to give information
about them.
Photocoagulation
Using a special strong
beam of light (laser) to seal off bleeding blood vessels such
as in the eye. The laser can also burn away blood vessels that
should not have grown in the eye. This is the main treatment
for diabetic retinopathy.
Pituitary
Gland
An endocrine gland
in the small, bony cavity at the base of the brain. Often called
"the master gland," the pituitary serves the body in many ways-in
growth, in food use, and in reproduction.
Podiatrist
A doctor who treats
and takes care of people's feet.
Podiatry
The care and treatment
of human feet in health and disease.
Point System
A way to plan meals
that uses points to rate food. The foods are placed in four
classes: calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each food
is given a point value within its class. A person with a planned
diet for the day can choose foods in the same class that have
the same point values for meals and snacks.
Polydipsia
A great thirst that
lasts for long periods of time; a sign of diabetes.
Polyphagia
Great hunger; a sign
of diabetes. People with this great hunger often lose weight.
Polyunsaturated
Fats
A type of fat that
comes from vegetables. See also: Fats.
Polyuria
Having to urinate
often; a common sign of diabetes.
Postprandial
Blood Glucose
Blood taken 1-2 hours
after eating to see the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
Preeclampsia
A condition that
some women with diabetes have during the late stages of pregnancy.
Two signs of this condition are high blood pressure and swelling
because the body cells are holding extra water.
Prevalence
The number of people
in a given group or population who are reported to have a disease.
Previous
Abnormality of Glucose Tolerance (PrevAGT)
A term for people
who have had above-normal levels of blood glucose (sugar) when
tested for diabetes in the past but who show as normal on a
current test. PrevAGT used to be called either "latent diabetes"
or "prediabetes."
Prognosis
Telling a person
now what is likely to happen in the future because of having
a disease.
Proinsulin
The substance made
first in the pancreas that is then made into insulin. When insulin
is purified from the pancreas of pork or beef, all the proinsulin
is not fully removed. When some people use these insulins, the
proinsulin can cause the body to react with a rash, to resist
the insulin, or even to make dents or lumps in the skin at the
place where the insulin is injected. The purified insulins have
less proinsulin and other impurities than the other types of
insulins.
Proliferative
Retinopathy
A disease of the
small blood vessels of the retina of the eye. See also: Diabetic
retinopathy.
Prosthesis
A man-made substitute
for a missing body part such as an arm or a leg; also an implant
such as for the hip.
Protein
One of the three
main classes of food. Proteins are made of amino acids, which
are called the building blocks of the cells. The cells need
proteins to grow and to mend themselves. Protein is found in
many foods such as meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. See also:
Carbohydrate; fats.
Proteinuria
Too much protein
in the urine. This may be a sign of kidney damage.
Pruritus
Itching skin; may
be a symptom of diabetes.
Purified
Insulins
Insulins with much
less of the impure proinsulin. It is thought that the use of
purified insulins may help avoid or reduce some of the problems
of people with diabetes such as allergic reactions.
Reagents
Strips or tablets
that people use to test the level of glucose (sugar) in their
blood and urine or the level of acetone in their urine. These
reagents are treated with chemicals that change color during
the test. Each type of reagent has its own color code to show
how much glucose or acetone there is at the time of the test.
Rebound
A swing to a high
level of glucose (sugar) in the blood after having a low level.
See also: Somogyi effect.
Receptors
Areas on the outer
part of a cell that allow the cell to join or bind with insulin
that is in the blood. See also: Insulin receptors.
Regular Insulin
A type of insulin
that is fast acting.
Renal
A term that means
having something to do with the kidneys.
Renal Threshold
When the blood is
holding so much of a substance such as glucose (sugar) that
the kidneys allow the excess to spill into the urine. This is
also called "kidney threshold," "spilling point," and "leak
point."
Retina
The center part of
the back lining of the eye that senses light. It has many small
blood vessels that are sometimes harmed when a person has had
diabetes for a long time.
Retinopathy
A disease of the
small blood vessels in the retina of the eye. See also: Diabetic
retinopathy.
Risk Factor
Anything that raises
the chance that a person will get a disease. With noninsulin-dependent
diabetes, people have a greater risk of getting the disease
if they weigh a lot more (20 percent or more) than they should.
Saccharin
A man-made sweetener
that people use in place of sugar because it has no calories.
Saturated
Fat
A type of fat that
comes from animals. See also: Fats.
Secondary
Diabetes
When a person gets
diabetes because of another disease or because of taking certain
drugs or chemicals.
Secrete
To make and give
off such as when the beta cells make insulin and then release
it into the blood so that the other cells in the body can use
it to turn glucose (sugar) into energy.
Segmental
Transplantation
A surgical procedure
in which a part of a pancreas that contains insulin-producing
cells is placed in a person whose pancreas has stopped making
insulin.
Self-Monitoring
of Blood Glucose
A way as person can
test how much glucose (sugar) is in the blood. Also called home
blood glucose monitoring. See also: Blood glucose monitoring.
Shock
A severe condition
that disturbs the body. A person with diabetes can go into shock
when the level of blood glucose (sugar) drops suddenly. See
also: Insulin shock.
Sliding Scale
Adjusting insulin
on the basis of blood glucose tests, meals, and activity levels.
Somatic Neuropathy
See: Peripheral neuropathy.
Somatostatin
A hormone made by
the delta cells of the pancreas (in areas called the islets
of Langerhans). Scientists think it may control how the body
secretes two other hormones, insulin and glucagon.
Somogyi Effect
A swing to a high
level of glucose (sugar) in the blood from an extremely low
level, usually occurring after an untreated insulin reaction
during the night. The swing is caused by the release of stress
hormones to counter low glucose levels. People who experience
high levels of blood glucose in the morning may need to test
their blood glucose levels in the middle of the night. If blood
glucose levels are falling or low, adjustments in evening snacks
or insulin doses may be recommended. This condition is named
after Dr. Michael Somogyi, the man who first wrote about it.
Also called "rebound."
Sorbitol
A sugar alcohol the
body uses slowly. It is a sweetener used in diet foods. It is
called a nutritive sweetener because it has four calories in
every gram, just like table sugar and starch.
Sorbitol is also
produced by the body. Too much sorbitol in cells can cause damage.
Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy may be related to too much
sorbitol in the cells of the eyes and nerves.
Spilling
Point
When the blood is
holding so much of a substance such as glucose (sugar) that
the kidneys allow the excess to spill into the urine. See also:
Renal threshold.
Split Dose
Division of a prescribed
daily dose of insulin into two or more injections given over
the course of a day. Also may be referred to as multiple injections.
Many people who use insulin feel that split doses offer more
consistent control over blood glucose (sugar) levels.
Stiff Hand
Syndrome
Thickening of the
skin of the palm that results in loss of ability to hold hand
straight. This condition occurs only in people with diabetes.
Stroke
Disease caused by
damage to blood vessels in the brain. Depending on the part
of the brain affected, a stroke can cause a person to lose the
ability to speak or move a part of the body such as an arm or
a leg. Usually only one side of the body is affected. See also:
Cerebrovascular disease.
Subclinical
Diabetes
A term no longer
used. See: Impaired glucose tolerance.
Subcutaneous
Injection
Putting a fluid into
the tissue under the skin with a needle and syringe. See also:
Injection.
Sucrose
Table sugar; a form
of sugar that the body must break down into a more simple form
before the blood can absorb it and take it to the cells.
Sugar
A class of carbohydrates
that taste sweet. Sugar is a quick and easy fuel for the body
to use. Types of sugar are lactose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose.
Sulfonylureas
Pills or capsules
that people take to lower the level of glucose (sugar) in the
blood. See also: Oral hypoglycemic agents.
Symptom
A sign of disease.
Having to urinate often is a symptom of diabetes.
Syndrome
A set of signs or
a series of events occurring together that make up a disease
or health problem.
Syndrome
X
Term describing a
combination of health conditions that place a person at high
risk for heart disease. These conditions are noninsulin-dependent
diabetes, high blood pressure, high insulin levels, and high
levels of fat in the blood.
Syringe
A device used to
inject medications or other liquids into body tissues. The syringe
for insulin has a hollow plastic or glass tube (barrel) with
a plunger inside. The plunger forces the insulin through the
needle into the body. Most insulin syringes now come with a
needle attached. The side of the syringe has markings to show
how much insulin is being injected.
Systemic
A word used to describe
conditions that affect the entire body. Diabetes is a systemic
disease because it involves many parts of the body such as the
pancreas, eyes, kidneys, heart, and nerves.
Systolic
Blood Pressure
See: Blood pressure.
Team Management
Describes a diabetes
treatment approach in which medical care is provided by a physician,
diabetes nurse educator, dietitian, and behavioral scientist
working together with the patient.
Thrush
An infection of the
mouth. In people with diabetes, this infection may be caused
by high levels of glucose (sugar) in mouth fluids, which helps
the growth of fungus that causes the infection. Patches of whitish-colored
skin in the mouth are signs of this disease.
Tolazamide
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.
Tolbutamide
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.
Toxemia of
Pregnancy
A condition in pregnant
women in which poisons such as the body's own waste products
build up and may cause harm to both the mother and baby. The
first signs of toxemia are swelling near the eyes and ankles
(edema), headache, high blood pressure, and weight gain that
the mother might confuse with the normal weight gain of being
pregnant. The mother may have both glucose (sugar) and acetone
in her urine. The mother should tell the doctor about these
signs at once.
Toxic
Harmful; having to
do with poison.
Transcutaneous
Electronic Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
A treatment for painful
neuropathy.
Trauma
A wound, hurt, or
injury to the body. Trauma can also be mental such as when a
person feels great stress.
Triglyceride
A type of blood fat.
The body needs insulin to remove this type of fat from the blood.
When diabetes is under control and a person's weight is what
it should be, the level of triglycerides in the blood is usually
about what it should be.
Twenty-Four
Hour Urine
The total amount
of a person's urine for a 24-hour period.
Type I Diabetes
Mellitus
See: Insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus.
Type II Diabetes
Mellitus
See: Noninsulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus.
NIH Publication No.
94-3016
August 1994
Diabetes Dictionary
Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P R S T U
V X
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