What does your result mean?
This is your estimated starting basal insulin target (units/day).
If you are:
- In range: Keep your current dose and timing consistent. Track fasting (overnight) glucose most mornings and continue using meal-time insulin or other meds as prescribed for meals.
- Below range: If fasting glucose runs low or you have overnight/early-morning lows, your basal is likely too high. Reduce in small steps (about 10% or 1–2 units), review bedtime carbs, alcohol, and recent activity, and re-check fasting readings over several days.
- Above range: If fasting glucose is often high, your basal may be too low. Increase in small steps (about 10% or ~2 units every few days), confirm injection technique and timing, and avoid missed doses; reassess with several fasting readings.
Note: Targets are guides, not medical advice. Adjust if you notice hypoglycemia (shakiness, sweating, confusion) or persistent hyperglycemia (excess thirst, frequent urination), or if you have conditions that change your insulin sensitivity.
How is this calculated?
Evidence baseline:
For T1D, a common starting framework is total daily insulin ≈ 0.5 U/kg/day with ~50% as basal ⇒ basal ≈ 0.25 U/kg/day. For T2D, basal initiation often uses the greater of 10 units/day or ~0.2 U/kg/day. Based on established scientific principles.
Sized to you:
We convert your weight to kilograms and apply the formula for your condition (T1D or T2D). The result is rounded to the nearest 0.5 unit for practical dosing.
Activity adjustment:
More daily activity and aerobic training typically increase insulin sensitivity, often lowering basal needs; reduced activity, illness, or higher evening carbohydrates can raise needs. Make gradual changes and judge by fasting glucose trends across several days.
Environment & day-to-day:
Stress, infections, poor sleep, corticosteroids, menstrual cycle phase, and major temperature changes can shift insulin sensitivity. Alcohol and skipped meals can increase hypoglycemia risk, especially overnight.
Why a range?
Insulin sensitivity varies between people and from day to day. A narrow range around the estimate supports safe, stepwise titration toward fasting targets instead of chasing a single fixed number.
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