# 251 Defining Diabetes: Algorithm
Defining Diabetes: Algorithm
Scott and Jenny Smith, CDE define the terms at the center of your type 1 diabetes care
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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.
Scott Benner 0:00
No Jenny in this episode of defining diabetes, but that's okay, I can handle it. In today's episode, I'll define the algorithm. Defining diabetes is made possible by Dexcom on the pod and dancing for diabetes. Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise, the Always consult a physician before becoming bold with insulin, or making any changes to your medical plan. The word algorithm isn't really thought of as diabetes specific, but in the coming months and years, it's going to be the general definition for algorithm is a process are set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem solving operations, especially by a computer. In Webster's definition, it expands this a little bit, a procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation, more broadly, a step by step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end. Now, why am I choosing in the middle of all these diabetes definitions to tell you about algorithm? Well, that's simple. In closed loop systems, algorithms are the brain, for example, on the pod is working on their horizon system that they expect to have out in the year 2020. It's a hybrid closed loop system that uses an omni pod, a Dexcom, G six, and an algorithm. This algorithm is designed specifically to take the information from your Dexcom G six be information about your blood sugar, what it is how fast it's moving, what direction it's going, this algorithm takes that information, goes through a bunch of settings, and decides this is how much more or less insulin you need to maintain a steady, stable time and range to avoid a low blood sugar to stop a pending Hi, this algorithm is going to make all of those decisions. So I think it's incredibly important that you know what an algorithm is, because you're gonna be hearing the word a lot. Now be clear about what an algorithm isn't. It's not a fortune teller, it can't see the future. It doesn't know something's going to happen before it does. It can only make decisions based on the settings that you tell it. What do I mean by that, if you're setting say that your insulin to carb ratio is, you know, one unit covers six carbs. And your Basal rate is definitely two and a half an hour. And you count your carbs up and you say, Okay, this is 50 carbs, algorithm. Here it comes but your way wrong, it's 100 carbs. But the algorithm believes you that it's 50 carbs, and it believes that it knows what your insulin to carb ratio is what your Basal rates supposed to be. And so it is possible that it won't be able to stop that high blood sugar, not right away, but eventually it will see that it's happening. And we'll get on it. But it's not a mind reader. It's not a catch all. It's not going to fix everything. These algorithms, however, are in their infancy right now within the diabetes community. And from what I've seen already from a number of them, they're spectacular. So I think it's worth you understanding what an algorithm is, as I believe they're going to have a large part in the way you live your life with type one diabetes in the future, the not so distant future
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