6 diabetes terms you should know

If you're newly diagnosed with diabetes, you may be confused by the new world you find yourself in. The first step is learning to speak the language: here are six common diabetes terms you should know.

The most common form of diabetes, accounting for about 95 percent of all cases. The basic problem is that the body's cells can't soak up enough glucose, so glucose stays in the blood. In addition, the pancreas may not produce enough insulin, and the insulin may not work properly. This can cause serious complications throughout the body, including: heart disease; high blood pressure; and kidney, eye and nerve damage. Once called adult-onset diabetes, type 2 is becoming increasingly common in children, probably because kids are becoming more and more overweight.

• The body's main source of energy. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, originates in plants and is passed up the food chain. When it accumulates in the blood, it makes blood stickier
• This makes it harder for blood to flow, which deprives the body of oxygen and nutrients. This hinders white blood cells in fighting infection and makes dangerous blood clots more likely
• Glucose also attaches to proteins all over the body and affects their function

• A hormone produced in the pancreas that acts like a key, "unlocking" cells so that glucose can enter
• In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can't keep up with the body's demand for insulin

• A condition in which cells become less responsive to insulin
• Boosting cells' sensitivity to insulin overcomes this resistance so that insulin has a greater effect

• The amount of glucose in your blood after not eating or drinking anything for at least eight hours before the test
• A blood glucose of 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) or greater indicates diabetes

• A test that measures your average blood sugar level over the previous several months
• It measures how much glucose has become attached to the protein hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells
• A score higher than nine means you need more control, below seven is acceptable, but less than six, which is normal and ideal, is desirable

Once you understand the basic terminology of diabetes, you'll be better equipped to understand what's going on in your body. Learning these six terms is a good start.