Mathematical Model of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism in Type 1 Diabetes Including Digestion and Absorption of Carbohydrates

Abstract

The authors propose a mathematical model of glucose-insulin metabolism in type 1 diabetes based on Bergman and Shimoda insulin models, which are adjusted to represent diabetic state and improve the accuracy of subcutaneous insulin absorption, respectively. The authors also propose a model of digestion and absorption from carbohydrates based on the glycemic index (GI) of foods and carbohydrate bioavailability concepts that provide a glucose-equivalent representation of the impact of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Comparison with clinical data demonstrates that the proposed model is able to represent postprandial blood glucose excursion for carbohydrates with varying GI values.