Definition

A medication that helps lower blood sugar levels, commonly used to treat diabetes.

Example

The doctor prescribed tolbutamide to help manage my blood sugar levels.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of tolbutamide?

Yeah, isn’t it used to help control blood sugar levels?

Exactly! I read that it can be really effective for managing diabetes.

That makes sense. It’s important to find the right medication for that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Tolbutamide is formed from 'tol-' (derived from the chemical compound toluene, which is a methyl derivative of benzene) and '-butamide' (from 'butyric acid' and 'amide', where 'butyric' refers to a four-carbon fatty acid and 'amide' indicates a compound derived from ammonia). The word refers to a specific medication that is a sulfonylurea derivative used to treat type 2 diabetes by stimulating insulin release.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tol-' as relating to a chemical structure and '-butamide' as a compound derived from a fatty acid and ammonia, which helps you remember that tolbutamide is a medication related to insulin release.

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