Glycaemic Control
Definition
How closely blood glucose is held within a target range over time, assessed from HbA1c, fasting glucose and postprandial measurements together. It is the composite endpoint most incretin trials are designed around.
Terms used in this definition
Other entries this definition refers to.
What this means for research sourcing
Volta compounds are research chemicals not intended for human consumption; safety terminology here is provided for research literacy.
Related Terms in Clinical & Safety
hs-CRP
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a blood marker of systemic inflammation measured by an assay able to resolve the low end of the range. It is non-specific: a raised value indicates inflammation without indicating its source.
Triglycerides
The main form fat is stored and transported in, measured in a standard lipid panel. It is reported as a metabolic endpoint and is sensitive to how recently the sample was taken relative to eating.
Postprandial
Occurring after a meal. Postprandial glucose and lipid measurements describe the response to a challenge, which is a different question from the fasting value and often a more sensitive one.
Adverse Event
Any unfavourable medical occurrence in somebody receiving a treatment, whether or not the treatment caused it. The definition is deliberately broad, which is why trial safety tables report events rather than side effects.
Serious Adverse Event
An adverse event that results in death, is life-threatening, requires hospitalisation, causes lasting disability or a congenital anomaly. The classification is about the outcome, not about how severe the experience felt.
Pharmacovigilance
The ongoing collection and assessment of safety information after a drug is on the market, where rare events that a trial of a few thousand participants could never have detected first appear.
Tolerability
How well the unwanted effects of a compound are put up with, as distinct from how safe it is. Nausea rarely threatens anybody and routinely ends participation, which is why trials report discontinuation rates alongside adverse events.
Contraindication
A circumstance in which a treatment should not be used. An absolute contraindication rules it out entirely; a relative one means the balance has to be weighed. Both are statements found on a label.