Nutrition

Managing Elevated Blood Glucose

The 1700 Rule for Determining Your Correction Factor

• Determine how much TOTAL insulin you take in an average day. Count long-acting as well as short-acting insulin (NPH, Ultra Lente , Lantus , Regular, Novolog , Humalog , etc.). For example, if you usually take 22 u Lantus + 7 u Novolog at the am meal + 5 u Novolog at the pm meal, the total insulin used in the average day is 34 units (22 + 7 + 5 = 34 ).
• Divide 1700 by the total amount of insulin, eg : 1700/34 = 50. This means that one unit of short-acting insulin ( Novolog ) will reduce your blood glucose by 50 points; 50 is your Correction or Sensitivity Factor.
• If your blood glucose before a meal is 240 and your goal is 150, the difference is 240 less 150 = 90 and 90 divided by your Correction Factoris 90/50 =~2. You will need 2 u Novolog insulin to reduce your elevated blood glucose from 240 to 150. You would give this extra insulin to reduce the elevated blood glucose at the time you give insulin for the carbohydrate you plan to eat at a meal.
• Remember, your long acting insulin (NPH, Ultra Lente , Lantus , etc.) is generally not affected by the above procedure for reducing an elevated blood glucose or determining how much insulin you need for the carbohydrate you plan to eat at a meal.