A Mathematical Model for the Estimation of Blood Glucose Levels over Time in the Human Body

by Brett Galvin

Submitted : Spring 2019

Blood glucose, which is also labeled as blood sugar, is a primary measurement of one’s health, especially concerning diabetes.  A common factor amongst the types of diabetes is high glucose levels in the blood. This paper describes the use of calculus to estimate the glucose levels in blood over a certain amount of time. In order to do so, the mathematical processes of separation of variables and integration had to be used. The result was a function that described, in terms of time, the glucose concentration within a particular person. After plotting the function, the two case studies that were mentioned in the problem statement were solved. Results of the experiment showed that the theoretical values were extremely close to the previously recorded experimental values. This goes to show that the person who tracked his blood glucose levels possibly used a device specifically designed for calculating such numbers. This device is almost as accurate as legitimate mathematical calculations, and can therefore be designated as a useful tool for those with diabetes, or anyone else who would like to keep track of their blood glucose levels.

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