Insulin/Enzyme Calculator “Gourmet” for Type 0 Diabetic Patients: Why, What for, and How?

摘要

This paper is an introductive chapter in the Insulin/Enzyme Calculator series. The prototype of “Gourmet” was developed to assist diabetic patients in controlling blood sugar after a total pancreatectomy or Whipple procedure. Taking into consideration the causes and symptoms of different types of diabetes, it is proposed to classify the post-surgical cases as type 0 diabetes. Since such patients have a significantly modified digestive system, new approaches in blood sugar analysis and treatment should be developed. This paper reviews existing mathematical models of diabetes and indicates how “Gourmet” compares to available simulators. It specifies the main problems with precise insulin dose estimation and describes the basic operational principles of the proposed computer program. The processes that must be taken into account are as follows: dynamical blood sugar profile related to digestion of carbohydrates of different types, sugar contribution by the liver, fat/proteins long- and short-term contributions into blood sugar level, influence of the enzymes and bicarbonate on blood sugar behavior, difference in carbohydrates content and their relative portion in cooked and uncooked meals.