Glossary of Diabetes

Edema: collection of fluid in the tissues of a part of the body. Diabetics often have edemic feet due to the impaired circulation in them.
Electromyography EMG: Test used to diagnose neuropathy and check for nerve damage. It uses electrodes to measure speed of nerve signal transmission. Damaged nerves have characteristic changes in transmission.
Emergency medical identification: Cards, bracelets, or necklaces with a written message used by people with diabetes or other medical problems to alert others in case of a medical emergency such as coma.
Endocrine glands: several glands and tissues which secrete signaling chemicals (almost always in very very small quantities) which control the function of other tissues. Insulin is produced by the endocrine part of the pancreas (i.e., beta cells) and is the primary hormone controlling metabolism.
Endocrinologist: a physician with special training in the operation and diseases of the endocrine system (i.e., the endocrine glands and tissues).
Endogenous: Grown or made inside the body. Insulin made by a person's own pancreas is endogenous insulin. Insulin that is supplied from outside the body (i.e., injected or otherwise supplied) is exogenous.
End-stage renal disease (ESRD): The final phase of many kidney diseases; treated by dialysis or kidney transplantation. See also: Dialysis; nephropathy.
Enzymes: proteins which have the effect of greatly increasing the reaction rate of specific chemical reactions. Reaction rates are controlled by activation energies specific to particular reactions, and enzymes have the effect of lowering the activation energy. In general enzymes are chemicals which are not consumed by the reaction. In that sense, they are catalysts.
Epidemiology: the study of the transmission of diseases. One of the first epidemiological investigations was that of Snow in 19th century London, who traced the spread of cholera to contaminated water supplies. Epidemiological studies can often provide a considerable insight into the nature of disease. For instance, the epidemiology of diabetes shows that it is not spread by infection; except in a very unusual sense, in the case of Type 1 diabetes.
Epinephrine (adrenaline): a "neurotransmitter" at sympathetic nerve endings. And a hormone which has effects throughout the body. Produced in the adrenal glands, among others.
Etiology: the origin and development of a condition. The etiology of Type 1 diabetes is somewhat understood (an externally triggered auto-immune disease) while the etiology of Type 2 diabetes is currently unknown, though its epidemiology has established a strong genetic component.
Euglycemia: A normal level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
Exchange lists: A grouping of foods by type to provide a rough way to help people on special diets keep to the diet. Each group lists food in serving sizes. A person can exchange, trade, or substitute a food serving in one group for another food serving in the same group as they have approximately equivalent amounts of a particular nutrient. The usual lists classify foods in six groups: (1) starch/bread, (2) meat, (3) vegetables, (4) fruit, (5) milk, and (6) fats. Within a food group, each serving has about the same amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calories.
Exogenous: Grown or made outside the body; for instance, insulin made from pork or beef pancreas is exogenous insulin for people. Contrast endogenous.