{"id":3680,"date":"2026-05-02T12:13:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T11:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/glossary\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T12:13:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T11:13:25","slug":"glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/glossary\/","title":{"rendered":"Diabetes Glossary \u2014 Plain-English Terms from A1C to Visceral Fat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>A plain-English glossary of the terms you&#8217;ll meet when living with \u2014 or learning about \u2014 diabetes.<\/strong> Every entry links to where the topic is covered in more depth on this site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n.ld-gloss-jump{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.4em;margin:1em 0 1.5em;padding:.85em;background:#f8fafc;border:1px solid #d4dde5;border-radius:6px}\n.ld-gloss-jump a{padding:.35em .7em;background:#1a8cb6;color:#fff;border-radius:4px;font-weight:600;font-size:.9em;text-decoration:none}\n.ld-gloss-jump a:hover{background:#147099}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"ld-gloss-jump\">\n<a href=\"#a\">A<\/a> <a href=\"#b\">B<\/a> <a href=\"#c\">C<\/a> <a href=\"#d\">D<\/a> <a href=\"#e\">E<\/a> <a href=\"#f\">F<\/a> <a href=\"#g\">G<\/a> <a href=\"#h\">H<\/a> <a href=\"#i\">I<\/a> <a href=\"#j\">J<\/a> <a href=\"#k\">K<\/a> <a href=\"#l\">L<\/a> <a href=\"#m\">M<\/a> <a href=\"#n\">N<\/a> <a href=\"#o\">O<\/a> <a href=\"#p\">P<\/a> <a href=\"#q\">Q<\/a> <a href=\"#r\">R<\/a> <a href=\"#s\">S<\/a> <a href=\"#t\">T<\/a> <a href=\"#u\">U<\/a> <a href=\"#v\">V<\/a> <a href=\"#w\">W<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a\">A<\/h2>\n<p><strong>ACE inhibitor \/ ARB.<\/strong> Two classes of blood-pressure medication (e.g. ramipril, losartan) that protect the kidneys when there is protein leak in the urine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ADAG study.<\/strong> The 2008 trial that produced the formula linking HbA1c to estimated average glucose. Used in our <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/hba1c-calculator\/\">HbA1c calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Albumin \/ albuminuria.<\/strong> A protein that should not appear in urine. Its presence suggests early diabetic kidney damage. Measured by uACR (see U).<\/p>\n<p><strong>AGP \u2014 Ambulatory Glucose Profile.<\/strong> The standard CGM report layout showing average glucose, time-in-range, variability, and a 24-hour pattern.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Autoimmune.<\/strong> When the immune system attacks the body&#8217;s own tissue. The cause of <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/home\/type-1-diabetes\/\">\u0679\u0627\u0626\u067e 1 \u0630\u06cc\u0627\u0628\u06cc\u0637\u0633<\/a> (immune attack on insulin-producing cells).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"b\">B<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Basal insulin.<\/strong> Long-acting insulin given once or twice a day to cover background glucose needs (e.g. glargine, degludec, detemir).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Beta cells.<\/strong> Pancreatic cells that produce insulin. Destroyed in type 1 diabetes; gradually fail in type 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BMI \u2014 Body Mass Index.<\/strong> Weight (kg) \u00f7 height (m)\u00b2. Use our <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/bmi-diabetes-risk-calculator\/\">BMI calculator<\/a> with NICE-aligned ethnicity-specific thresholds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bolus insulin.<\/strong> Rapid- or short-acting insulin given at meals to cover the carbohydrate. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/carb-counter\/\">carb &amp; bolus calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"c\">C<\/h2>\n<p><strong>C-peptide.<\/strong> A by-product of insulin production. Used to confirm whether someone still produces their own insulin (low\/absent in type 1, often present in type 2).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Carbohydrate counting.<\/strong> Matching mealtime insulin doses to grams of carbohydrate in food. The basis of every insulin pump&#8217;s bolus calculator.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CGM \u2014 Continuous Glucose Monitor.<\/strong> A wearable sensor that measures interstitial glucose every few minutes (Libre, Dexcom, Eversense, Stelo).<\/p>\n<p><strong>CKD \u2014 Chronic Kidney Disease.<\/strong> Diagnosed when eGFR is below 60 ml\/min\/1.73m\u00b2 <em>or<\/em> uACR is \u2265 3 mg\/mmol, sustained over 3 months. Use our <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/egfr-calculator\/\">eGFR calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Correction dose.<\/strong> Insulin given to bring an above-target glucose back to target. Calculated using the insulin sensitivity factor (ISF).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"d\">D<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Dawn phenomenon.<\/strong> Early-morning rise in glucose driven by overnight cortisol and growth-hormone release. Common in both type 1 and type 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DCCT.<\/strong> The 1993 Diabetes Control and Complications Trial that established that tight glycaemic control reduces complications in type 1 diabetes. The HbA1c % scale uses DCCT-aligned units.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DKA \u2014 Diabetic Ketoacidosis.<\/strong> A serious complication where the body breaks down fat for fuel, producing acidic ketones. Most often in type 1 diabetes. <strong>Always seek urgent medical care.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>DPP-4 inhibitor.<\/strong> Oral diabetes medication (sitagliptin, linagliptin) that prolongs natural GLP-1 activity. See <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/diabetes-medications\/\">medications guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"e\">E<\/h2>\n<p><strong>eAG \u2014 estimated Average Glucose.<\/strong> The HbA1c value translated into the units you see on a glucometer. <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/hba1c-calculator\/\">Convert here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>eGFR.<\/strong> Estimated glomerular filtration rate. The headline number for kidney function.<\/p>\n<p><strong>EMPA-REG OUTCOME.<\/strong> The 2015 trial that showed empagliflozin (an SGLT2 inhibitor) reduces cardiovascular death \u2014 the result that reshaped diabetes medication choice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Endogenous insulin.<\/strong> Insulin produced by the body&#8217;s own pancreas, as opposed to injected insulin.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"f\">F<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Fasting glucose.<\/strong> Blood glucose measured after 8+ hours without food. Diagnostic threshold for diabetes: \u2265 7.0 mmol\/L (126 mg\/dL).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finerenone.<\/strong> A non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist for type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease (brand name Kerendia).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flash glucose monitoring.<\/strong> A type of CGM (e.g. FreeStyle Libre) where the user &#8220;flashes&#8221; or scans the sensor to see readings. Now usually integrated into smartphone apps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fructosamine.<\/strong> An alternative to HbA1c for tracking glucose control over the previous 2\u20133 weeks. Useful when HbA1c is unreliable (anaemia, pregnancy, transfusion).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"g\">G<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Gestational diabetes.<\/strong> Diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Usually resolves after delivery but raises future type 2 risk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GIP.<\/strong> Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide \u2014 a gut hormone. The &#8220;GIP&#8221; half of dual-action drugs like tirzepatide.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Glargine, degludec, detemir.<\/strong> Long-acting (basal) insulin formulations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GLP-1 receptor agonist.<\/strong> A class of injectable diabetes medication (semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide) that mimics the gut hormone GLP-1.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Glucagon.<\/strong> The hormone that <em>raises<\/em> glucose. Available as an emergency injection (or nasal spray) for severe hypoglycaemia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Glycaemic index (GI).<\/strong> A 0\u2013100 scale for how fast a carbohydrate raises glucose. Glucose = 100. Whole oats \u2248 55, white bread \u2248 75.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GMI \u2014 Glucose Management Indicator.<\/strong> An HbA1c-equivalent calculated from CGM data. <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/time-in-range-calculator\/\">Calculate yours<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h\">H<\/h2>\n<p><strong>HbA1c.<\/strong> Glycated haemoglobin \u2014 your average blood glucose over the previous 8\u201312 weeks, measured as a percentage (DCCT) or in mmol\/mol (IFCC).<\/p>\n<p><strong>HOMA-IR.<\/strong> A calculation using fasting glucose and fasting insulin to estimate <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/insulin-resistance\/\">insulin resistance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Honeymoon period.<\/strong> The brief phase after type 1 diagnosis when the pancreas still produces some insulin, lowering injected-insulin needs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hyperglycaemia.<\/strong> Blood glucose above target.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hypoglycaemia (hypo).<\/strong> Blood glucose below 3.9 mmol\/L (70 mg\/dL). Treat with 15 g fast-acting carbohydrate, recheck in 15 minutes \u2014 the &#8220;15\/15 rule.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i\">I<\/h2>\n<p><strong>I:C ratio (insulin-to-carb ratio).<\/strong> How many grams of carbohydrate are covered by 1 unit of rapid-acting insulin. Used in <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/carb-counter\/\">carb counting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>IFCC.<\/strong> The international body that standardised the mmol\/mol scale for HbA1c. UK and most of Europe use IFCC; US uses NGSP (% scale).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Insulin pump.<\/strong> A device that delivers continuous subcutaneous insulin. Increasingly paired with CGMs as automated insulin delivery (AID) or &#8220;hybrid closed loop.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Insulin resistance.<\/strong> When body tissues stop responding properly to insulin&#8217;s signal. The upstream driver of type 2 diabetes. <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/insulin-resistance\/\">Pillar guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ISF \u2014 Insulin Sensitivity Factor.<\/strong> How much one unit of insulin lowers blood glucose. Used for correction doses.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"j\">J<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Juvenile diabetes.<\/strong> Older term for type 1 diabetes \u2014 no longer used clinically because type 1 can be diagnosed at any age.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"k\">K<\/h2>\n<p><strong>KDIGO.<\/strong> Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes \u2014 the international body whose CKD staging is used worldwide.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ketoacidosis.<\/strong> See DKA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ketones.<\/strong> Acidic by-products of fat breakdown. Mildly elevated in nutritional ketosis (very-low-carb diet); dangerously high in DKA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ketogenic diet.<\/strong> Very-low-carbohydrate (typically &lt;50 g\/day) eating that shifts the body into nutritional ketosis.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"l\">L<\/h2>\n<p><strong>LADA.<\/strong> Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults \u2014 slowly-progressing autoimmune diabetes that&#8217;s often initially misdiagnosed as type 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Liraglutide, dulaglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide.<\/strong> GLP-1 receptor agonists (and tirzepatide is dual GIP\/GLP-1).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"m\">M<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Macrovascular complications.<\/strong> Damage to large blood vessels \u2014 heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Microvascular complications.<\/strong> Damage to small blood vessels \u2014 eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy), nerves (neuropathy).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Metformin.<\/strong> First-line oral medication for most adults with type 2 diabetes. Reduces liver glucose output and improves insulin sensitivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MODY.<\/strong> Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young \u2014 an inherited single-gene form of diabetes.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"n\">N<\/h2>\n<p><strong>NAFLD \/ MASLD.<\/strong> Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (now called metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). Closely linked to type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nephropathy.<\/strong> Kidney disease caused by diabetes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neuropathy.<\/strong> Nerve damage caused by diabetes \u2014 typically affects the feet first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NICE.<\/strong> The UK&#8217;s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence \u2014 produces the official UK diabetes guidelines (NG28 for adults, NG17 for type 1, NG18 for children).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"o\">O<\/h2>\n<p><strong>OGTT \u2014 Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.<\/strong> 75 g oral glucose challenge with blood sugar measured at 0 and 2 hours. The diagnostic test for gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ozempic.<\/strong> Brand name for once-weekly injectable semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"p\">P<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Postprandial.<\/strong> &#8220;After meal.&#8221; Postprandial glucose = glucose 1\u20132 hours after eating.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-diabetes.<\/strong> HbA1c 42\u201347 mmol\/mol (6.0\u20136.4%) or fasting glucose 5.6\u20136.9 mmol\/L. NICE prefers the term &#8220;non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"q\">Q<\/h2>\n<p><strong>QRISK3.<\/strong> The UK&#8217;s validated 10-year cardiovascular risk score, used by GPs to decide on statin therapy.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"r\">R<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Remission.<\/strong> HbA1c below 48 mmol\/mol (6.5%) sustained for at least 3 months without glucose-lowering medication. The clinical term for &#8220;reversed type 2 diabetes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Retinopathy.<\/strong> Damage to the retina caused by diabetes. Detected by annual NHS Diabetic Eye Screening.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"s\">S<\/h2>\n<p><strong>SGLT2 inhibitor.<\/strong> Class of oral diabetes medication (empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, canagliflozin) that causes glucose to be excreted in the urine. Strong cardiovascular and kidney benefits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sliding scale.<\/strong> A correction-dose table \u2014 older approach to insulin adjustment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sulfonylurea.<\/strong> Older oral diabetes medication (gliclazide, glimepiride) that stimulates insulin release. Effective but causes weight gain and hypoglycaemia risk.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"t\">T<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Time-in-range (TIR).<\/strong> The percentage of CGM readings between 3.9 and 10.0 mmol\/L (70\u2013180 mg\/dL). International target \u2265 70% for most adults.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).<\/strong> Dual GIP\/GLP-1 receptor agonist. The first dual-action injectable for type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Type 1 diabetes.<\/strong> Autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. Always requires insulin replacement. <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/home\/type-1-diabetes\/\">Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Type 2 diabetes.<\/strong> Insulin resistance progressing to insufficient insulin production. The most common form (~90% of cases). <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/type-2-diabetes\/\">Pillar guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"u\">U<\/h2>\n<p><strong>uACR \u2014 urinary Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio.<\/strong> A urine test that picks up early protein leak from the kidneys. Annual screening in NICE NG28.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ultra-processed food (UPF).<\/strong> Industrially formulated foods. Higher consumption is associated with increased type 2 diabetes risk independent of calorie or carb content.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"v\">V<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Visceral fat.<\/strong> Fat stored around the organs. The metabolically harmful kind. Worse for insulin resistance than subcutaneous fat.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"w\">W<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Wegovy.<\/strong> Brand name for higher-dose semaglutide licensed for chronic weight management.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WHO.<\/strong> World Health Organization \u2014 defines the global diagnostic criteria for diabetes (HbA1c \u2265 6.5%, fasting glucose \u2265 7.0 mmol\/L).<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>This glossary is reviewed against current NICE, NHS, ADA, and Diabetes UK guidance. Last reviewed: May 2026. If a term you&#8217;re looking for isn&#8217;t here, let us know via the <a href=\"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/about\/\">contact page<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A plain-English glossary of diabetes terms \u2014 HbA1c, eAG, GLP-1, SGLT2, CKD, time-in-range, and more. Reviewed against NICE, NHS, ADA and Diabetes UK guidance.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3680","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Claude SEO","author_link":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/author\/claude-seo\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":null,"rttpg_excerpt":"A plain-English glossary of diabetes terms \u2014 HbA1c, eAG, GLP-1, SGLT2, CKD, time-in-range, and more. Reviewed against NICE, NHS, ADA and Diabetes UK guidance.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingdiabetes.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}