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The A1C (also know glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C) is a blood test used to diagnose diabetes and to assess glycemic control. This test provides an average of blood glucose levels for approximately a three-month period.

The absence of the pale arched area at the proximal portion of the nail plate.

Are light brown to black markings, usually on the neck, under the arms or in the groin caused by elevated levels of insulin.

Source: 55. Smith WG, Gowanlock W, Babcock K, Collings A, McCarthy A. Prevalence of acanthosis nigricans in First Nations children in central Ontario, Canada. Can J Diabetes 2004;28(1):410-4. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242761486_Prevalence_of_Acanthosis_Nigricans_in_First_Nations_Children_in_Central_Ontario_Canada

An ADI is "the amount of a food additive, corrected for body weight, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk". The ADI is determined by bodies such as HPFB, JECFA, or FDA and is generally 1% of the highest dose at which studies have demonstrated no harmful effects.

A range of intakes for a particular energy source that is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease while providing adequate intakes of essential nutrients. The AMDR of a macronutrient is expressed as a % of total energy intake because its requirement is not independent of other energy fuel sources or of the total energy requirement of the individual.

ACT is a third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy (3wCBT). 3wCBT advocates acceptance of physical discomfort or other adverse or negative internal experiences, verses avoidance. When applied to weight loss, 3wCBTs may increase an individual’s awareness and psychological flexibility in order to improve their ability to recognize and act on cues that may lead overeating. Specifically, the ACT approach seeks to promote healthy behaviour habits through acceptance and mindfulness in moments of behavioural decision-making.

Source:
Lawlor ER, Islam N, Bates S, Griffin SJ, Hill AJ, Hughes CA, Sharp SJ, Ahern AL. Third-wave cognitive behaviour therapies for weight management: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2020 Jul;21(7):e13013. doi: 10.1111/obr.13013. Epub 2020 Mar 17. PMID: 32181957; PMCID: PMC7379202.

Forman EM, Butryn ML, Manasse M, Bradley LE. Acceptance‐based behavioral treatment for weight control: a review and future directions. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:87‐90.

Hayes S. Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT). ACBS [cited 4 Jan 2022]. Available from: https://contextualscience.org/act#

"The degree to which a measurement or an estimate based on measurements represents the true value of the attribute that is being measured."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Acetaldehyde is an intermediate in the metabolism of alcohol.

Acetic acid is a biochemical product of metabolism. It is also called ethanoic acid and is a carboxylic acid.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates nerve transmission in the brain. It is derivative of choline and acetic acid.

Acid reflux is the backward flow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus or throat, which may cause heartburn.

A major contractile protein in muscle found in thin filaments.

Acute decompensated heart failure is a clinical diagnosis which occurs when an individual experiences a rapid onset of heart failure symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, edema) that requires urgent medical attention, often resulting in visits to the emergency department and hospitalization.

Episodic attack of diverticulitis.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Colonic Diverticulosis. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/colonic-diverticulitis

Acute gastroenteritis is a diarrheal disease of rapid onset, with or without accompanying symptoms and signs, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, or abdominal pain.

Acute phase proteins are a class of proteins that are synthesized in the liver in response to inflammation. This response is called the acute phase reaction.

Ad libitum is a latin term that means as a person wishes.

Added salt refers to salt that is added during cooking or after preparation (at the table).

Adequate Intake (AI) is the recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate. It is used when the RDA cannot be determined.

Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by adipose tissue. It is involved in glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism and plays a role in the suppression of metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Adiposity rebound is the increase in BMI that occurs after it reaches its lowest point, which is a normal pattern of growth that occurs in all children.

A strategy that uses personalized insulin to carbohydrate ratios (ICR) to determine mealtime insulin doses, thereby enabling a flexible intake of carbohydrate.

Source: Warshaw H, Bolderman K. Practical carbohydrate counting: A how-to-Teach Guide for Health Professionals. American Diabetes Association. 2009.

An aeroallergen is an allergen that is airborne. Aeroallergens usually cause symptoms because they are able to enter the body via the respiratory tract.

Aerobic exercise consists of rhythmic, repeated and continuous movements of the same large muscle groups for at least 10 minutes at a time. Examples include walking, biking, jogging, swimming, water aerobics and many sports.

Aerodigestive is defined as "the combined organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper part of the digestive tract (including the lips, mouth, tongue, nose, throat, vocal cords and part of the esophagus and windpipe)".

Source: NIH National Cancer Institute, NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Aerodigestive tract. [cited 2020 Nov 30].

Agility is the ability to move and change position of the body and direction quickly and effectively while under control.

Movements difficult to initiate or the absence of movement.

Alcohol dependence is an older classification used in the DSM-IV, which corresponds to moderate or severe alcohol use disorder in the DSM-V. While the DSM-IV classified problematic alcohol use into two categories, alcohol abuse (one or more symptoms) and alcohol dependence (three or more symptoms), the DSM-V describes alcohol use disorders as a spectrum from mild (two to three symptoms) to severe (six or more symptoms). Individuals with alcohol dependence typically have increased tolerance (i.e. need to consume more alcohol to feel the same effects) and withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is stopped (e.g. nausea, sweating, difficulty sleeping, shakiness, hallucinations, racing heart, seizures).

Sources:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison between DSM-IV and DSM-V. Alcohol's Effect on Health: Research-based information on drinking and its impact. Updated Apr 2021.

American Psychological Association. Understanding Alcohol Use Disorders and their Treatment. Updated Sept 2018.

Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of alcohol use, which may also be called alcoholism. It involves issues with controlling drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, having to increase the amount consumed to get the same effect, the use of alcohol even when it results in problems, or having withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is quickly reduced or stopped.

"An explicit description of an ordered sequence of steps to be taken in patient care under specified circumstances."

Source: JAMAevidence. Glossary. American Medical Association: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2014. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Allele is one of the variant forms of a gene at a particular location on a chromosome. Different alleles produce variation in inherited characteristics such as hair color or blood type. In an individual, one form of the allele (the dominant one) may be expressed more than another form (the recessive one).

An allergen is a special type of antigen that causes an IgE antibody response.

An allergen-specific IgE is an IgE antibody formed in response to a specifc allergen. These are the antibodies that are detected in allergy tests such as RAST and skin tests.

Allergic asthma refers is asthma caused by immunological mechanisms.

Allergic disease is caused by exposure to specific antigens (allergens) in people who are sensitized to the antigens.

Allergic eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a food-related gastrointestinal hypersensitivity disease involving IgE and/or non-IgE mechanisms. It can occur at any age, including in young infants. Weight loss or failure to thrive is typical for this disorder.

Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane induced by IgE antibody to specific allergens.

Allergic sensitization is the presence of IgE antibodies against environmental and/or food antigens.

An allergy is an inappropriate or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances that, in the majority of people, cause no symptoms. Symptoms of allergic disease may be caused by exposure of the skin to a chemical, of the respiratory system to particles of dust or pollen (or other substances), or of the stomach and intestines to a particular food. In its broadest sense, it is applied to all types of immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. Previously, the term was restricted to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity.

Alopecia is a complete or partial loss or absence of hair.

Alopecia areata is a condition of undetermined etiology characterized by non-scarring and circumscribed areas of baldness on the scalp, eyebrows and beard area which are usually asymmetric.

Alopecia totalis is a complete loss of scalp hair.

Alopecia universalis is the total loss of all body hair.

Anaphylactoid is a reaction with symptoms often indistinguishable from anaphylaxis in people in whom no evidence of IgE-mediated allergy can be demonstrated.

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. Signs and symptoms can occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. In rarer cases, the time frame can vary up to several hours after exposure. The ways that these symptoms occur may vary from person to person and even from episode to episode in the same person. An anaphylactic reaction can involve any of the following symptoms: (skin) hives, swelling, itching, warmth, redness, rash, (respiratory)coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain/tightness, throat tightness, hoarse voice, nasal congestion or hay fever-like symptoms (runny, itchy nose and watery eyes, sneezing), trouble swallowing, (gastrointestinal) nausea, pain/cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, (cardiovascular) pale/blue colour, weak pulse, passing out, dizzy/lightheaded, shock, (other) anxiety, feeling of “impending doom”, headache, uterine cramps in females. These symptoms may appear alone or in any combination regardless of the triggering allergen.

An anchor statement is intended to provide context to individuals by helping them understand the relationship between the caloric content of a menu item and the total amount of energy individuals should consume in one day.

Androgenic alopecia is a gradual decrease of scalp hair due to a familial increased susceptibility of hair follicles to androgen secretion following puberty. This condition is referred to as male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.

Angioedema is swelling similar to urticaria (hives), but the swelling occurs beneath the skin instead of on the surface. Angioedema is characterized by deep swelling around the eyes and lips and sometimes of the hands and feet.

Include “height, weight, body mass index, growth pattern indices/percentile ranks and weight history”.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

Anthropometrics is the measurement of the physical dimensions and gross composition of the human body (e.g. waist circumference, skinfold measurements, height).

An antibody is a protein, also called an immunoglobulin (Ig), that is manufactured by lymphocytes to neutralize an antigen. Humans make five types of antibodies - IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG,and IgM.

An antigen is a substance that can trigger an immune response, resulting in production of an antibody as part of the body's defense against infection and disease. Many antigens are foreign proteins (those not found naturally in the body). Bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms commonly contain many antigens, as do pollens, dust mites, molds, foods, and other substances.

An antigen presenting cell is a white blood cell that engulfs and degrades foreign proteins and displays the individual molecules on surface receptors for recognition by T helper cells.

Antigenicity is the ability of an antigen to trigger an immune response.

Antigen-specific IgE is an IgE antibody that is formed against a specific antigen.

An antioxidant is a natural compound found in foods that significantly decreases the adverse effects of reactive species, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen, on normal physiological function in humans.

Apoptosis is programmed cell death.

A surgical procedure performed to restore the function of a joint.

Asthenospermia is the loss or reduction of motility of the spermatozoa which is frequently associated with infertility.

Asthenozoospermia is the loss or reduction of mobility of the spermatozoa which is frequently associated with infertility.

Asthma is a condition marked by recurrent episodes of breathing difficulty with wheezing due to spasmodic contraction of the bronchi.

Atopic dermatitis, also called atopic eczema, chronic inflammatory skin disorder seen in individuals with a hereditary predisposition to a lowered cutaneous threshold to pruritus, often accompanied by allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and asthma, and principally characterized by extreme itching, leading to scratching and rubbing that in turn results in the typical lesions of eczema.

Atopic disease is a genetic predisposition toward the development of immediate (Type I) hypersensitivity reactions against common environmental allergens (atopic allergy). The most common clinical manifestations are allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy occurring less frequently.

Atopy is a personal or familial tendency to produce IgE antibodies in response allergens, and to develop typical symptoms such as asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or eczema/dermatitis.

Refers to digestible carbohydrate that will result in a glycemic response. When carbohydrate counting in some countries such as the USA and Canada, available carbohydrate must be calculated by subtracting the fibre content from the total grams of carbohydrate documented on food labels (19). In other countries such as Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, this calculation is not required.

Source: Diabetes Australia. Carbohydrate counting and diabetes. [Internet]; 2016 [cited 2020 Dec 8]. Available from: https://www.diabetesqualified.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/FS_Carbohydrate-counting-and-diabetes_orange_highres.pdf
Diabetes UK. Reading labels. [Internet] [no date, cited 2020 May]]; Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/nuts-and-bolts-of-carb-counting/learn-about-carb-counting/reading-labels.

Average Daily Intake refers to the average intake of a particular nutrient over time.

Average Requirement is the nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement defined by a specified indicator of adequacy in 50% of the individuals in a life stage and gender group. At this level of intake, the remaining 50% of the specified group would not meet their nutrient needs.