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A1c
A blood test that gives an indication of average blood glucose levels over 10-12 weeks.
ACE Inhibitor
A type of drug used to lower blood pressure. Studies indicate that it may also help prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes.
Active Ingredient
The ingredient that is responsible for the action of a product (in this case the therapeutic action of a medication)
Acute Condition/ Disease
Acute conditions are sudden or severe. Symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly (see Chronic Condition)
Adverse Event
Any change in health or any side-effect which occurs in a person who participates in a clinical trial either whilst the patient is receiving the medication or within a period of time after their treatment has stopped.
Aetiology
The study of the cause or causes of disease
Angina
Chest pain that is caused by a reduced flow of blood to the heart muscle
Anorexia Nervosa
An eating disorder characterised by a fear of putting on weight and a distorted body image
Antibody
Protein that the body makes to protect itself from foreign substances.
Antipsychotics
A class of drugs primarily used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
Artery
A large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body.
Artificial Pancreas
A technology being designed to allow people with diabetes to control their blood glucose levels automatically via an insulin pump under a closed loop control using data from a continuous blood glucose monitor
Atherosclerosis
One of many diseases in which fat builds up in the large- and medium-sized arteries. This build-up of fat may slow down or stop blood flow.
Autoimmune Disease/ Autoimmunity
Disorder of the body's immune system in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys body tissue that it believes to be foreign.
Beta Cell
A type of cell in the pancreas in areas called the islets of Langerhans. Beta cells make and release insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose in the blood.
Biomarker
A physical trait that is used to measure or to indicate the effects or the progress of a disease, illness, or condition.
Blood Glucose
Glucose is the major source of energy for living cells and is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. Glucose is largely derived from carbohydrate foods.
Blood Glucose Monitor
A device that tests how much glucose is in the blood.
Blood Pressure
The pressure of the blood within the arteries
Blood Sugar
see Blood Glucose
Blood Vessels
Tubes that act like a system of roads or canals to carry blood to and from all parts of the body. The three main types of blood vessels are arteries, veins, and capillaries. The heart pumps blood through these vessels so that the blood can carry with it oxygen and nutrients that the cells need or take away waste that the cells do not need.
Bulimia Nervosa
An eating disorder characterised by binge eating and purging through vomiting or through excessive physical exercise
Calorie
Energy that comes from food. Some foods have more calories than others. Fats have many calories and most green leafy vegetables have few.
Canula
A small tube inserted into the body
Carbohydrate
One of the three main classes of foods and a source of energy. Carbohydrate foods are mainly sugars and starches that the body breaks down into glucose.
Cardiovascular
Relating to the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries); the circulatory system.
Cardiovascular Risk Factor
Anything that raises the chance that a person will get cardiovascular disease.
Causality
The relationship between the causes and the effects of they produce
Charcot Foot
A foot complication associated with diabetic neuropathy that results in destruction of joints and soft tissue.
Cholesterol
A fat-like substance found in blood, muscle, liver, brain, and other tissues in people and animals. The body makes and needs some cholesterol. Too much cholesterol, however, may cause fat to build up in the artery walls and cause a disease that slows or stops the flow of blood.
Chronic Condition/ Disease
A continuous or persistent condition that exists over an extended period of time, is long-standing, and is not easily or quickly resolved (see Acute Condition)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A psychotherapy approach that aims to help patients to take control of their illness, and their lives, through insight, self knowledge and planning
Cohort
In epidemiological studies, a group of individuals with some characteristics in common
Complications (of Diabetes)
The long-term conditions that can occur in people with diabetes which include eye disease, disease of the kidneys, nerve damage and cardiovascular disease
Consent
see Informed Consent
Counter regulatory
Any hormone that opposes the action of insulin like lucagons, adrenaline, cortisol, and growth hormone.
Diabetes
see Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)
A 10-year study (1983-1993) funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to assess the effects of intensive therapy on the long-term complications in those with Type 1 diabetes. The study proved that intensive management of Type 1 diabetes prevents or slows the development of eye, kidney, and nerve damage caused by diabetes.
Diabetes Mellitus
A disease that occurs when the body is not able to utilise glucose for energy due to an absolute or relative lack of insulin.
Diagnosis
The term used when a doctor finds that a person has a certain medical problem or disease.
Dialysis
A method for removing waste such as urea from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do the job.
Dietitian
An expert in nutrition who helps people plan the kinds and amounts of foods to eat.
DNA
The material inside the nucleus in cells that carries genetic information
DVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (UK)
Effective Dose
The dose of any given drug that will provide the desired effect
Endpoint
Overall outcome that the clinical trial was designed to evaluate e.g. disease progression, death, toxicity
End Stage Renal Disease
Chronic, irreversible disease of the kidneys
Epidemiology
The study of a disease that deals with patterns in the general population
Ethics Committee
An independent group of medical and lay people who consider and verify the integrity and safety of a study and who ensure that the study participants rights are protected.
Exclusion Criteria
Any condition(s) that preclude the entrance of candidates into a clinical trial even if they meet the inclusion criteria (see Inclusion Criteria)
Evidence Based Medicine
The use of the best current evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient
Folic Acid
One of the B vitamins that is a key factor in the synthesis of genetic material like DNA. Lack of adequate folic acid during pregnancy is known to increase the risk of birth defects in the baby
Gene
A basic unit of heredity.
General Practice/ General Practitioner (GP)
Medical units staffed by healthcare professionals who provide medical care across a broad and diverse of conditions and healthcare needs
Genetics
Relating to genes.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
A type of diabetes mellitus that can occur when a woman is pregnant
Glucose Tolerance Test
A test to see if a person has diabetes.
Glycaemic Control
The regulation of blood glucose levels
Haemaglobin A1c (HbA1c)
See A1c
Hard End Point
This is an end point (see definition above) that can be accurately measured and is not subject to mis-interpretation. For example survival or infection or other explicit medical event
Health Service Research
This is research in to the provision of healthcare and its impact on patient outcomes. For example the number of specialist diabetes nurses in each healthcare region or the impact on blood glucose control or whether regular eye examinations can prevent blindness.
Heart Attack
Death of, or damage to, a region of heart muscle due to an insufficient blood supply to the area because of narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus which infects and destroys cell of the immune system and which is the causative agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Hormone
A chemical released by special cells to tell other cells what to do. For instance, insulin is a hormone made by the beta cells in the pancreas. When released, insulin tells other cells to use glucose for energy.
Hygiene Hypothesis
A hypothesis which states that early childhood exposure to infectious agents like viruses, bacteria and parasites increases the immune response and lowers the susceptibility to allergic and autoimmune conditions and diseases
Hypoglycemia ('Hypo')
Low levels of blood glucose.
Immunosuppression
Pharmanceutical suppression of the body's immune system and its ability to fight infections or disease usually given in reponse to an organ or cell tranplant
Impotence
Inability to achieve or maintain an erection.
Incidence
How often a disease occurs; the number of new cases of a disease among a certain group of people for a certain period of time.
Inclusion Criteria
The criteria that prospective volunteers must meet in order to be eligible for participation in a clinical trial or other study (see Exclusion Criteria)
Informed Consent
The process by which all the information, including risks, benefits and requirements, about a clinical research study are explained before deciding whether or not to participate. The process should be documented and participants should sign a consent form
Insulin
A hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy.
Insulin Pump
A device that delivers a continuous supply of insulin into the body.
Insulin Resistance
The body's inability to respond to and use available insulin
Intervention
The treatment or treatment strategy tested in a clinical trial
Interventional Study
A study in which the investigator intervenes in the course of the disease or condition in some way with some form of therapeutic treatment strategy.
Intravenous
Injected directly into a vein
Investigator
The doctor in charge of the study
Islet Cell Transplantation
Transplanting the beta (islet) cells from a donor pancreas and putting them into a person whose pancreas has stopped producing insulin. The beta cells make the insulin that the body needs to use glucose for energy.
Islets (of Langerhans)
Special groups of cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin.
Kidney Disease
Any one of several chronic conditions that are caused by damage to the cells of the kidney.
Kidneys
Two organs in the lower back that clean waste and poisons from the blood.
Laser Therapy
Using a special strong beam of light of one colour (laser) to heal a damaged area. A person with diabetes might be treated with a laser beam to heal ruptured blood vessels at the back of the eye.
Lifestyle
A person's way of life like choice of diet and exercise
Lifestyle Intervention
An intervention that alters one given aspect of a person's way of life e.g smoking cessation
Lipid
A term for fat.
Meta-Analaysis
A statistical technique for combining the results of a number of independent sties from the published literature and drawing conclusions and summaries about, for example, the therapeutic effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention.
Metric
A combination of measurements designed to evaluate a service, method or function
Monogenic
Controlled by a single gene
Morbidity
The rate of incidence of disease within a population
Mortality
A measure of the rate of death from a disease within a given population
Motivational Interviewing
A counseling approach that aims to increase the client's awareness of existing behavioural issues that may be impacting upon their lifestyle
Nephropathy
Disease of the kidneys caused by damage to the small blood vessels or to the units in the kidneys that clean the blood
Neuropathy
Disease of the nervous system
Obesity
A condition in which a greater than normal amount of fat is in the body; more severe than overweight; having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.
Observational Study
A type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured but in which no intervention is given
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)
A test to see if a person has diabetes. See: Glucose tolerance test.
Pancreas
An organ behind the lower part of the stomach. It makes insulin and enzymes that help the body digest food.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas
Pathophysiology
Functional changes that are associated with or result from disease
Pharmacoepidemiology
The study of both the uses and the effectiveness of drugs in large numbers of people
Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV
The phases of development of a new therapeutic intervention (usually drugs). Phase 1 are the first trials in human subjects, often healthy volunteers, phase 2 are small trials in patients to demonstrate that the treatment works and phase 3 are larger studies to confirm that the treatment has an acceptable safety profile and works in a wider population. Phase 4 are the studies that take place once the drug is available on prescription.
Placebo
An inactive substance or treatment that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested in a clinical trial
Podiatrist
A doctor who treats and takes care of people's feet.
Podiatry
The care and treatment of human feet in health and disease.
Prediabetes
An intermediate metabolic state between not having diabetes and being diagnosed with diabetes
Prevalence
The number of people in a given group or population who are reported to have a disease.
Primary Care
The first point of contact that a patient has with the healthcare system, before being referred elsewhere e.g. family doctors and general practitioners
Protein
One of the three main classes of food. The body's cells need proteins to grow and to mend themselves. Protein is found in many foods such as meat, fish, poultry, and eggs.
R&D
Research and development
Renal
A term that means having something to do with the kidneys.
Retinopathy
A disease of the small blood vessels in the retina of the eye.
Risk Factor
Anything that raises the chance that a person will get a disease.
Secondary Care
Services provided by medical specialists who generally are not the first point of contact for patients
Selection Bias
An error or distortion in choosing the individuals or groups of individuals to participate in a study.
Statin
Any of a group of drugs that help to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood
Stroke
Disease caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Surrogate End Point
A measure of the effect of a certain treatment that may correlate with the real endpoint but which has no guaranteed relationship
Toxicity
An adverse effect produced by a drug that is detrimental to the health of the study participant
Triglyceride
A type of blood fat.
Ulcer
A break in the skin; a deep sore.
Vitamin D
A nutrient that helps the body use calcium and phosphorus to make strong bones and teeth. It is found in certain fish, eggs, and dairy products
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