| A1C |
A test that sums up how much glucose has been sticking to part of the hemoglobin during the past 3 to 4 months. Hemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that supplies oxygen to the cells of the body. The A1C goal for patients in general is an A1C goal of less than 7%. The A1C goal for the individual patient is an A1C as close to 6% as possible without a considerable amount of low blood glucose.
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| Abnormal |
Not normal. Deviating from the usual structure, position, condition, or behavior. In referring to a growth, abnormal may mean that it is cancerous or premalignant (likely to become cancer).
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| Absorption |
Uptake. In the biomedical sciences, absorption has diverse specific meanings.
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| Acanthosis Nigricans |
An eruption of velvety, warty benign growths and hyperpigmentation on the skin of the axillae, neck, anogenital area, and groin; in adults, may be associated with internal malignancy, endocrine disorders (characterized by insulin resistance), or obesity; seen in Type 2 diabetes in adolescents; a benign hereditary type occurs in children.
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| 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. ACE is an acronym for angiotensin-converting enzyme.
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| Acute |
Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness that is of short duration, rapidly progressive, and in need of urgent care.
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| Adrenal Gland |
One of a pair of small glands, each of which sits on top of one of the kidneys. The adrenal is made up of an outer wall (the cortex) and an inner portion (the medulla).
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| Adult Stem Cell |
A cell found in the different tissues of the body
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| Adult-Onset Diabetes |
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| Advanced Glycation End-Products |
Glycation adducts of sugars and proteins involved in the collagen cross-linking occurring with aging.
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| Aerobic |
Oxygen-requiring. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to grow. Aerobic exercise requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand.
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| Aerobic Exercise |
Brisk physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand. Aerobic exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood.
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| Aging |
The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.
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| Albuminuria |
Presence of protein in urine, chiefly albumin but also globulin; usually indicative of disease, but sometimes resulting from a temporary or transient dysfunction.
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| Amputation |
Removal of part or all of a body part enclosed by skin. For example, removal of part of a finger or an entire finger would be termed an amputation. Removal of an appendix, on the other hand, would not be termed amputation. A person who has undergone an amputation is called an amputee.
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