Glossary
- impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
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IGT is a category of higher than normal blood glucose, but below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes, after ingesting a standard amount of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test. For a full definition see the WHO diagnostic criteria (www.who.int/diabetes). People with IGT are at increased risk of developing diabetes.
- Insulin
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A hormone whose main action is to enable body cells to absorb glucose from the blood and use it for energy. Insulin is produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
- insulin analogue
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Insulins chemically very similar to human insulin, works in the same places in the body and thus have the same effects on the metabolism of glucose, fats and proteins. Rapid-acting analogues (insulins aspart, glulisine and lispro) are absorbed faster into the blood than human insulin after injection, and therefore act earlier and for a shorter time period. Long-acting analogues (insulins detemir and glargine) are absorbed more slowly into the blood, and therefore act over longer periods of time than conventional extended-acting insulins.
- International Dollar
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It is a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power in every country. Conversions from local currencies to international dollars are calculated using tables of purchasing power parities (PPP), which are taken from studies of prices for the same basket of goods and services in different countries.
- ICCCF
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Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework
- ID
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- IDF
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International Diabetes Federation
- IFG
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impaired fasting glucose
- IGT
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impaired glucose tolerance
- IIF
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International Insulin Foundation
- impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
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IFG is a category of higher than normal blood glucose, but below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes after fasting (typically after an overnight fast). For a full definition see the WHO diagnostic criteria (www.who.int/diabetes). People with IFG are at increased risk of developing diabetes.
- incidence
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It indicates how often a disease occurs. More precisely, it corresponds to the number of new cases of a disease among a certain group of people for a certain period of time.
- islets of Langerhans
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Named after Paul Langerhans, the German scientist who discovered them in 1869, these clusters of cells are located in the pancreas. They produce and secrete hormones that help the body break down and use food. There are five types of cells in an islet including beta cells, which produce insulin.