Insulin therapy and carbohydrate counting

Abstract. Nutritional management is one of the cornerstones of diabetes care. Many studies have been per-formed on the correlation between nature and amount of carbohydrate in meal intake and insulin deliveryby artificial pancreas in Type 1 diabetic patients. In fact consistency in the amount and source of carbohy-drate intake from day to day is associated with improved blood glucose control in people with Type 1 dia-betes. Many methods of counting carbohydrate have been used and many are still commonly used in paedi-atric practice (exchange, portion/serving, grams, glycemic index, carbohydrate/insulin ratio). Carbohydratecounting is a meal planning approach with patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus that focuses on carbohy-drate as the primary nutrient affecting postprandial glycemic response. The aim of this paper is to reviewpublished data on the significance of carbohydrate counting on meeting outcome goals and allowing flexi-bility in food choices. (www.actabiomedica.it) Key words: