P
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.
R
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.
S
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.
T
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.
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