Glossary of Terms

Basal Insulin - Background insulin from a long-acting insulin to match background insulin need.

Body Mass Index (BMI) - A unit of measurement that describes weight in relation to height for people ages 20-65 years old.

Carb Bolus - An injection of rapid insulin to match carbohydrates in a meal or snack.

Carb Factor - An equation that estimates how many grams of carbohydrate one unit of rapid insulin will cover in a meal.

Carbohydrate - One of the three main constituents (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) of foods and the most important for blood sugar control. Carbohydrates are composed mainly of sugars and starches.

Correction Bolus - An injection of rapid insulin to bring a high blood sugar back within a person's target for before a meal, after a meal, or at bedtime.

Correction Factor - An equation that estimates how far your blood sugar is likely to drop per unit of insulin.

Fat - One of the three main constituents (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) of foods. Fats occur alone as liquids or solids, such as oils and margarines, or they may be a component of other foods. Fats may be of animal or vegetable origin. They have a higher energy content that any other food (nine calories per gram).

Glucose - A simple sugar that is found in the blood and is used by the body for energy.

Glycemic Index - Rating of how fast a food is likely to raise your blood sugar and can be helpful for managing blood sugars.

Insulin - A hormone secreted by the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Needed by many cells to use glucose for energy.

Protein - One of the three main constituents (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) of foods. made up of amino acids proteins are found in foods such as milk, meat, fish and eggs. Proteins (four calories per gram) are burned at a slower rate than fats or carbohydrates.

Total Daily Dose (TDD) - The total units of insulin taken in a single day.