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insulin Definition
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insulin
noun(in-su-lin)a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood and that when insufficiently produced results in diabetes mellitus
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noun(in-su-lin)type 1 diabetes
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noun(in-su-lin)type 1 diabetes —abbreviation IDDM
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noun(in-su-lin)either of two polypeptides structurally similar to insulin that are secreted either during fetal development or during childhood and that mediate growth hormone activity
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noun(in-su-lin)reduced sensitivity to insulin by the body's insulin-dependent processes (such as glucose uptake and lipolysis) that is typical of type 2 diabetes but often occurs in the absence of diabetes
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noun(in-su-lin)metabolic syndrome
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noun(in-su-lin)severe hypoglycemia that is associated with the presence of excessive insulin in the system and that if left untreated may result in convulsions and progressive development of coma
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noun(in-su-lin)type 2 diabetes
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noun(in-su-lin)type 2 diabetes —abbreviation NIDDM
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noun(in-su-lin)a syndrome marked by the presence of usually three or more of a group of factors (such as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, and high fasting levels of blood sugar) that are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes —called also insulin resistance syndrome