A1c test 
Provides a picture of average blood sugar control for the past 2 to 3 months.  Also known as glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c

Adult-onset diabetes 
One of the former terms for Type 2 diabetes.  

Anti-diabetic agent
A kind of medication that helps a person with diabetes control the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood so that the body works as it should.

Asymptomatic
No symptoms; no clear sign of disease present.

Blood sugar
The glucose in the blood.

Diabetes mellitus
Elevations of blood sugar due to deficient insulin production or action.

Diabetic coma 
A profound state of unconsciousness that can develop in inadequately treated cases of diabetes mellitus

Dialysis
Providing kidney function artificially with an external, artificial kidney (a dialysis machine).

Dietitian
An expert in nutrition.  A registered dietitian (R.D.) has special training and experience.

Fasting blood glucose test
A method for finding out how much glucose (sugar) is in the blood, at a time when it is unaffected by recent food intake.

Gangrene
Infection of dead body tissue.

Gestational diabetes mellitus
A type of diabetes mellitus that can occur when a woman is pregnant.

Glucose
A simple sugar which is the chief carbohydrate fuel in food.

Glucose tolerance test
A test to see how well the body deals with the glucose in the blood over time without interference from other foods.

Glycogen
A substance made from multiple glucose molecules. It is stored in liver and muscle cells and can be converted to glucose when needed.

Glycosylated hemoglobin test
See A1Cc test.

Hyperglycemia
A condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than usual.

Hyperinsulinism
A condition in which insulin levels in the body are too high.  This term most often refers to a condition in which the body produces too much insulin.

Hypoglycemia 
A condition in which blood glucose levels are lower than usual.

Impaired glucose tolerance
A condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes.

Insulin
A hormone produced in the pancreas. It is the chief control mechanism in metabolism.

Kidney disease
Any one of several chronic conditions that are caused by damage to the cells of the kidney.

Macrovascular disease
A disease of the large blood vessels that sometimes occurs when a person has had diabetes for a long time.

Microvascular disease
Disease of the smallest blood vessels that sometimes occurs when a person has had diabetes for a long time.

Neuropathy
Nerve damage.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes
A form of diabetes mellitus that can usually be controlled by diet and oral medications without injections of insulin.

Pancreas
An abdominal organ with multiple functions. It produces insulin.

Pre-diabetes
A condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes.

Prognosis 
A prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease.

Risk factor
Anything that raises the chance that a person will get a disease.

Secondary diabetes
When a person gets diabetes because of another disease or because of taking certain drugs or chemicals.

Sugar
A class of carbohydrates. Types of sugar are lactose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Type 1 diabetes 
One of the two major types of diabetes mellitus.  In Type 1 the body does not produce insulin. The disease process is more severe than with Type 2 and onset is usually in childhood.

Type 2 diabetes 
One of the two major types of diabetes mellitus where the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells don't use the insulin effectively.  Anyone can get Type 2 diabetes but its highest incidence is in people over 45 years of age.