Glossary
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| Age-adjusted |
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The age-adjusted percentage is an artificial estimate that minimizes the effects
of different age distributions and allows comparisons between different
populations. It represents what the crude percentage would have been in the
study population if that population had the same age distribution as a standard
population (that is, a population in which the age composition is known
precisely, for example, as a result of a census). |
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| Blood glucose |
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The main sugar found in the blood and the body’s main source of
energy. The A1c blood test is used to measure a person’s average blood sugar
level over the past 2 to 3 months.
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| Blood pressure |
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The force of blood on the inside walls of blood vessels, measured by analyzing
both the systolic blood pressure, the pressure when the heart pushes blood out
into the arteries, and the diastolic blood pressure, when the heart is at rest. |
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| Blood lipid |
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Fat in the blood stream, which is measured with a lipid profile blood test. The
lipid profile test measures total cholesterol, the fat produced by the liver
and found in some foods, triglycerides, the storage form of fat in the body,
HDL cholesterol, fat that takes extra cholesterol from the blood to the liver
for removal, and LDL cholesterol, fat that takes excess cholesterol around the
body to where it’s needed, but excess ultimately rests on the inside of artery
walls.
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| Crude |
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The crude percentage is the raw percentage or the unadjusted estimate. |
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| Diabetic Ketoacidosis |
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A condition in which very high blood sugar levels along with a very low level
of insulin result in a dangerous accumulation of ketones -- substances produced
when the body breaks down fat for energy -- in the blood and urine.
Hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome is another condition in which one’s blood
sugar levels become very high and necessary ketones are not present in the
blood or urine. Coma or death can result if both of these conditions are not
treated.
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| Diabetic Retinopathy |
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A diabetic eye disease that results from damage to the small blood vessels in
the retina, the back part of the eye that contains the cells that respond to
light. It may lead to loss of eyesight. Laser therapy, one possible treatment
option, uses a strong beam of light to seal the leaking blood vessels in the
eye.
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| End-Stage Renal Disease |
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Kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant to survive.
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| Gestational Diabetes |
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A form of glucose intolerance diagnosed in some women during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently among African Americans,
Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians. It is also more common among
obese women and women with a family history of diabetes. During pregnancy,
gestational diabetes requires treatment to normalize maternal blood glucose
levels to avoid complications in the infant. After pregnancy, 5% to 10% of
women with gestational diabetes are found to have type 2 diabetes. Women who
have had gestational diabetes have a 20% to 50% chance of developing diabetes
in the next 5 to10 years. |
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| Glucose Intolerance |
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A condition in which the body has blood sugar levels higher than normal, but
not high enough to classify as diabetes. It is diagnosed using an oral glucose
tolerance test which requires a fasting period of 8 to 12 hours and the blood
sugar is measured both fasting and 2 hours after drinking a high-sugar drink.
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| Insulin |
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A hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy
needed for daily life. |
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| Ischemic Heart Disease |
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Disease caused by a lack of blood to the heart due to a narrowing or
obstruction of the arteries that could result in a heart attack. |
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| Maturity-onset Diabetes |
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Type 2 diabetes that accounts for 1 to 5 percent of people with diabetes and is
a result of a defect in a single gene. |
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| Metformin |
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A medicine pill used to treat type 2 diabetes because it lowers blood sugar
levels by reducing the amount of sugar produced by the liver and helping the
body respond better to insulin. |
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| Neuropathy |
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Disease of the nerves that is marked by muscle weakness, pain, and numbness.
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| Non-Traumatic Lower-Limb Amputation |
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A procedure to remove through surgery damaged feet or legs, where the injury
was not caused by trauma (e.g., the injury was not caused by a car accident). |
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| Peripheral Arterial Disease |
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Narrowing or obstruction of an artery supplying the legs that is marked chiefly
by cramping pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the legs. |
