Glossary

This glossary explains words related to Best 4 Diabetes, diabetes in general, and windows. If you come across a word that you don't recognize, please let us know so we can include it here.

Basal
A significant advantage of an insulin pump is the ability to delivery a continuous flow of insulin into your body during the day and when you sleep. Insulin pump users typically set up a Basal Schedule that specifies which doses are applied during different times of the day.
Bolus
Insulin pump users can deliver a specific amount of insulin in order to correct a high blood sugar or to eat a meal. Best 4 Diabetes can record the following types of boluses:
  1. Correction Bolus. A bolus used to correct a high sugar episode.
  2. Normal Bolus. A bolus delivered all at once used to absorb glucose from a meal.
  3. Square Bolus. A bolus delivered over time used to absorb glucose from a meal.
  4. Dual Bolus. A bolus with both a Normal and a Square component.

Blood Glucose, Blood Sugar
The level of sugar in a persons blood. This level varies more in people with diabetes. In Best 4 Diabetes, Blood Glucose and Blood Sugar are used interchangeably.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide energy to the body in the form of sugars and starches. People with diabetes must be very aware of the total amount of Carbohydrates they eat because it is this food element that affects their blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrate Counting
The two methods that people with diabetes use to account for the foods they eat are Carbohydrate Counting (or simply carb counting) and Exchange Counting. Carbohydrate counting is more difficult but is also much more accurate. Many people have switched from Exchange Counting to Carbohydrate Counting. New food labels introduced a few years ago make this task easier, at least for packaged foods. You can use either method to record foods in Best 4 Diabetes.
Command Bar
The four main functional areas of Best 4 Diabetes are Upload Meter, Record Events, Reports and Profile. Except for Record Events, each of these areas provides specific functions on a Command Bar just below the tabs. Command Bars are color coded, Purple for Upload Events, Pink for Reports and Beige for Profile. For example, the Reports Command Bar looks like this:
Event
A single activity that is recorded in Best 4 Diabetes. The four types of events are:
  1. Measure
  2. Medicine
  3. Food
  4. Miscellaneous
Event Group
Events that occur at the same time are grouped together in an Event Group. You can create from one to four unique Events in an Event Group. For example, you can create a Measure Event and a Food Event in an Event Group but not two Food Events. Events in the same Event Group appear together on many of the reports.
Exchange Counting
The two methods that people with diabetes use to account for the foods they eat are Carbohydrate Counting and Exchange Counting. Servings of a given food typically have a set amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fat and calories. Two foods of different types but with the same amount of nutrients can be "exchanged" for one another. By determining the total number of exchanges in a meal, you can estimate the total amount of carbohydrates, which most directly effects blood glucose levels. You can use either method to record foods in Best 4 Diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
About 4% of pregnant women develop Gestational Diabetes. It occurs when the body cannot make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy. Gestational diabetes must be treated during pregnancy and usually goes away after childbirth.
Guest Member
A person who has signed up to use Best 4 Diabetes but has not paid for premier membership. Guest Members are limited to 14 days report retention, 15 Favorite Foods and 15 Common Miscellaneous Events.
Glucose
A simple form of sugar that provides energy to the body. Starches and other sugars are broken down in the body and made available to cells for energy by insulin.
Glucose Meter
A device used to measure the level of sugar in a person's blood stream. In Best 4 Diabetes, the single word "meter" is used. Glucose meters may also be called glucometers.
Health Care Team
In addition to their doctor, a person with diabetes may have a team of people to help him or her manage their condition. These may include a dietician and a clinician. When Best 4 Diabetes uses this term, we mean one or more people that care for the person with diabetes.
High Blood Sugar
Blood Sugar levels that are above normal but below the hyperglycemic level. Best 4 Diabetes represents these with the color Yellow. People with diabetes need to treat High Blood Sugar levels with insulin, diet and / or exercise.
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA passed into law in 2001 and became mandatory in 2003. It requires companies that deliver health care services to specify how medical information about their customers may be used and disclosed and how customers can get access to their individually identifiable health information. Best 4 Diabetes's HIPAA Policy is available as a link at the bottom of each page. You are asked to agree to the terms of the HIPAA policy when you create an account.
Hyperglycemic
Blood Sugar levels that are dangerously high. Your Health Care Team may want to be informed when these episodes occur. The default Hyperglycemic level in Best 4 Diabetes is 240 mg/dL but you and your Health Care Team should determine the correct number for you. You can change this number in Profile : Blood Sugar Targets.
Hypoglycemic
Blood Sugar levels that are dangerously low. Your Health Care Team probably should be informed when these episodes occur. People with diabetes need to treat Hypoglycemic levels by eating fast sugar foods or, if unconscious, having Glucagon injected into them. The default Hypoglycemic level in Best 4 Diabetes is 60 mg/dL but you and your Health Care Team should determine the correct number for you. You can change this number in Profile : Blood Sugar Targets.
Insulin
A protein produced by the pancreas that is used to metabolize carbohydrates into energy. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and enter the bloodstream. Insulin provides the mechanism for glucose to enter cells and be converted to energy. People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce any insulin and must inject it or take it with an insulin pump. People with Type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin or their bodies cannot make use of it. They may take insulin or may be able to treat their condition with medicine, diet and/or exercise.
Insulin Pump
A device, about the size of a pager, that delivers a continuous flow of insulin throughout the day. It can also be used to deliver insulin doses in preparation for meals or at specific times of the days.
Ketones
Acids that are produced when fat is broken down for energy. Ketones can build up in the body if there is not enough insulin to allow glucose to enter cells. Your Health Care Team may want you to check your ketones via a urine test if you become hyperglycemic. Best 4 Diabetes let's you record ketones along with glucose levels.
Low Blood Sugar
Blood Sugar levels that are below normal but above the hypoglycemic level. Best 4 Diabetes represents these in the color Yellow. Some people may want to consider all low blood sugar reading as hypoglycemic. This is possible with Best 4 Diabetes.
mg/dL
milligrams per deciliter, this is the unit used to measure blood glucose levels in the United States and some European countries. Canada and many other countries use a different measurement: mmol/L (millimoles per liter). Best 4 Diabetes reports blood sugar levels using mg/dL only.
Plug-in
A software program from a computer company that works with a browser. Best 4 Diabetes uses Java Plug-in for much of its functionality. Examples of other browser plug-ins that you may already have on your computer are:
Populate
To put information in an input field. Auto Populate is when Best 4 Diabetes puts information in a text field for you. You can later change the information that was Auto Populated.
Premier Member
A person who has paid for premier membership. Premier members have no limits on Event retention, Report retention, Favorite Foods and Common Miscellaneous Events.
Profile
One of the four major areas of Best 4 Diabetes, profile let's you customize Best 4 Diabetes for your own needs.
Record Events
One of the four major areas of Best 4 Diabetes. To record an event is to manually create an event and enter values for it.
Reports
One of the four major areas of Best 4 Diabetes, this area let's you generate graphical reports that you and your Best 4 Diabetes can use to better manage your diabetes.
Scroll
When there is more information on a web page than can fit in one screen, you must scroll down the window to see all of it. If something seems to be missing, like a submit button, use the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the screen to see the whole page. Best 4 Diabetes tries to keep information from going past the right border but on occasion you may have to use the horizontal scroll bar on the bottom of the screen to see all of it.
Serial Port
A port on the back of most computers that glucose meters can use to transfer glucose readings to the computer. Serial Ports have nine pins.
Session
A session begins when you login to Best 4 Diabetes and continues until you log off or close your browser. During a session you can leave Best 4 Diabetes, visit other Web sites, and come back without having to log in again. On the Welcome page, you can check Sign me in automatically until I logoff and a new session will automatically be started the first time you come to Best 4 Diabetes after starting your browser.
Standard Deviation
A measure of the variability of a set of numbers, Standard Deviation is useful for understanding how much glucose values vary over time. Standard Deviation is related to the Bell Curve:


Plus or Minus one Standard Deviations where most of the readings of a set of data occur, specifically the central 68.3. Plus or Minus two Standard Deviations is where almost all of the readings occur, specifically the central 95.5%.

When the Bell Curve is wide there is a lot of variability:

 

When the Bell Curve is narrow, there is little variability:


It is important for people with diabetes to keep the variability of their glucose measure small. Best 4 Diabetes provides two, easy to read, Standard Deviation reports. Standard Deviation is also used in the Glucose Averages table on the Personalized Home Page.

The three images above are for discussion purposes only and do not indicate actual data. Glucose readings do not strictly follow a Standard Deviation distribution because there can be a wider distribution of highs than lows. That is a topic for a future release.

Time Block
A portion of the day. Best 4 Diabetes defines eight time blocks,
  1. Sleep
  2. Before Breakfast
  3. After Breakfast
  4. Before Lunch
  5. After Lunch
  6. Before Dinner
  7. After Dinner
  8. Evening
Time Period
A period of defined time. For example: Hour, Day, Week, Month.
Timeline
A length of time with a starting date and an ending date.
Tab
From any page, you can click on a tab at the top of the page to go to any of the four functional areas (Upload Meter, Record Events, Reports and Profile) or your Personalized Home Page. The page you are viewing is represented in Red. Other pages you may wish to go to are colored Gray.
Type 1 Diabetes
Previously called Juvenile Diabetes, Type 1 occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin and usually occurs during childhood. People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin shots to metabolize sugars into energy. Insulin cannot be delivered in pill form because it is broken down by the acids in the stomach. About 1.2 million people in the United States have Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Previously called Late Onset Diabetes, this disease occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin for the body's needs or when the body cannot use the insulin produced to metabolize sugars for energy. It often occurs later in life and is often associated with being overweight. However, in the United States, there is a marked increase of Type 2 Diabetes among overweight children and teenagers. The ease and prevalence of fast foods and an inattention to exercise has brought about this increase. About 17 million people in the United States have Type 2 diabetes.
Upload
Transfer glucose readings from a glucose meter to Best 4 Diabetes. Best 4 Diabetes can read measurements from 24 different types of glucose meters. Some other diabetes management systems call this function download.
USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Agricultural Research Service of this U. S. government agency has created a nutritional database of over 6,000 foods. Best 4 Diabetes lets you easily retrieve information from this database and insert it into your Food Events.


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