Diabetes

A set of flashcards focusing on key vocabulary and definitions related to diabetes, as presented in the lecture notes.

Diabetes

A group of disorders characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin production, action, or both.

Type 1 Diabetes

A type of diabetes where high blood glucose levels are caused by a total lack of insulin, often presenting during childhood or adolescence.

Type 2 Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes, resulting from lack of insulin or the body's inability to utilize insulin efficiently; it is largely preventable.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

A form of diabetes that occurs in pregnancy, affecting 7.8% of pregnancies in the U.S., which typically resolves after childbirth.

Prediabetes

A condition that precedes type 2 diabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but below diagnostic levels.

A1C Test

A blood test that measures average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months.

Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG)

A blood test that measures sugar levels after an 8-12 hour fast.

Oral Hypoglycemic Agents

Medications used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes that stimulate insulin secretion or increase the body’s response to insulin.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

A serious complication of diabetes that occurs when blood glucose levels become extremely high, leading to the production of ketones.

Cardinal Signs of Diabetes

The primary symptoms to identify diabetes: polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, unexplained weight loss, and weakness.