Chapter 9

Glossary

The terms that get used without explanation, defined in plain language.

7 minute read

A to G

A1c (HbA1c)
The percentage of your hemoglobin carrying attached glucose, reflecting roughly the last two to three months of glucose exposure. An average, so it hides swings.
Beta cells
The cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. Their capacity can decline over time in type 2 diabetes.
Blood glucose
The amount of glucose in your bloodstream at a moment in time. Measured in mg/dL in the US and mmol/L in much of the rest of the world.
CGM
Continuous glucose monitor. A sensor worn on the body that estimates glucose every few minutes from the fluid between cells, rather than from blood directly.
Dawn phenomenon
A rise in blood glucose in the early morning, driven by hormones released before waking prompting the liver to release glucose. Happens without eating.
Fasting glucose
A reading taken after roughly eight hours without food, reflecting what your body settles to with nothing coming in.
Fiber
Carbohydrate your body cannot break down into glucose. It does not raise blood sugar and slows the digestion of carbohydrate eaten with it.
Glucagon
Insulin's counterpart. A hormone that prompts your liver to release stored glucose when blood levels fall.
Glycemic index (GI)
A ranking of how quickly a food's carbohydrate raises blood glucose. Ignores portion size, which limits its usefulness.
Glycemic load (GL)
Glycemic index combined with the carbohydrate in a realistic portion. More useful than GI in practice.
GLP-1
A hormone released by the gut after eating that prompts insulin release, slows stomach emptying and increases fullness. Several medications mimic it.

H to Z

Hyperglycemia
Blood glucose above the range your clinician considers appropriate for you. What counts as high is a clinical judgment, not a fixed universal number.
Hypoglycemia
Blood glucose below the range appropriate for you, which can be a medical emergency. Risk depends heavily on which medications you take.
Insulin
The hormone that allows glucose to move from your blood into your cells. The key in the lock.
Insulin resistance
Reduced response of your cells to insulin, so more insulin is needed for the same effect. Usually precedes a type 2 diagnosis by years.
Insulin sensitivity
The opposite of resistance. How readily your cells respond to insulin. Improves with movement, muscle, sleep and weight loss.
mg/dL and mmol/L
The two units for blood glucose. mg/dL is standard in the United States; mmol/L in the UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. Roughly, mg/dL divided by 18 gives mmol/L.
Net carbs
Total carbohydrate minus fiber. An approximation of the carbohydrate that will actually reach your blood as glucose.
OGTT
Oral glucose tolerance test. You drink a standardised glucose solution and your blood is tested two hours later to see how well it was handled.
Postprandial
After a meal. A postprandial reading is one taken after eating, usually one to two hours later.
Prediabetes
Blood glucose measures above the usual range but below the diabetes thresholds. Often reversible, and frequently undiagnosed.
Remission
Blood glucose measures below the diabetes range without glucose-lowering medication, sustained over time. The term clinicians prefer to "reversal".
Resistant starch
Starch that resists digestion and behaves partly like fiber. Formed in some foods, such as potatoes and rice, when they are cooked and then cooled.
Time in range
The proportion of time your glucose spends within a range agreed with your clinician. A CGM concept, and the range is individual, not universal.

This handbook is general education, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. GlucoSpike AI is not a medical device. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation, especially before changing anything about your medication, and particularly if you are pregnant or managing another condition alongside this one.