Biological Pathway
Glucose Homeostasis
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The system that holds blood glucose inside a narrow range. Insulin from the pancreatic beta cells lowers it, glucagon from the alpha cells raises it, the liver stores and releases glucose accordingly, and muscle and fat tissue take it up. Incretin hormones from the gut modulate the whole arrangement around meals. Records tagged here concern signals that shift any part of that balance.
Why it matters here
The readings a record may cite cover different windows: a fasting glucose is one moment, HbA1c reflects roughly the previous three months, a continuous monitor's average is neither. Comparing across them is a common error.
What it is not
Not a synonym for insulin sensitivity, which is one input to it: a normal glucose can be held at the cost of very high insulin. Lower glucose is also not the same as glycaemic control, because hypoglycaemia is a failure of control too.
Also called
- glucose homeostasis
- glycemic control
- blood sugar regulation
- blood glucose
- glycemic
- glucose regulation