Glucose exposure diagnostics and therapeutics related thereto

Abstract

Glucose exposure can be indicative of a number of potential underlying health conditions. The present disclosure is directed to measuring glucose exposure, determined, for example, on an hourly basis. This glucose exposure, in at least one embodiment, represents a current glucose level over the span of given period (e.g., a portion of 24 hours). If a patient's glucose exposure exceeds a glucose threshold or limit (for a 24 hour period in some embodiments), then a variety of treatments may be administered to the patient to help lower overall glucose exposure (e.g., during the 24 hour period).

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving indications of glucose levels of a patient via a filament interacting with interstitial fluid;   determining an average glucose level for a particular hour;   determining a current glucose exposure for the particular hour by summing the average glucose level for the particular hour with a summation of average glucose levels of the patient for hours preceding the particular hour in a 24-hour period;   determining that the current glucose exposure for the particular hour exceeds a target glucose level for the particular hour; and   administering treatment to the patient to lower a glucose exposure level of the patient.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment comprises insulin. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more of the group comprising rapid-acting insulin, short-acting insulin, intermediate-acting insulin, mixed-insulin, or long-acting insulin. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment comprises pioglitazone. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more weight loss drugs. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more drugs to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the target glucose level for the particular hour by multiplying a glucose exposure limit per hour by a numerical representation of the particular hour, wherein the glucose exposure limit per hour is based at least in part on historical glucose exposure data for the patient.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the indications of the glucose levels of the patient are received at a particular interval of 15 minutes. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein determining the average glucose level for the particular hour comprises averaging four of the indications of the glucose levels of the patient received during the particular hour. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein administering the treatment lowers the glucose exposure level of the patient to at or below a 24-hour glucose exposure limit, wherein the 24-hour glucose exposure limit comprises a summation of a glucose exposure limit per hour for 24 hours. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the average glucose levels of the patient for hours preceding the particular hour in the 24-hour period comprises at least one average glucose level based on historical data. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one average glucose level based on historical data comprises an average of average glucose levels for an hour immediately preceding the particular hour and an hour in a different 24-hour period. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one average glucose level based on historical data comprises an average of stored glucose exposure data for the particular hour for different 24-hour periods. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 receiving a current glucose exposure for a particular hour, wherein the current glucose exposure for the particular hour is determined by summing an average glucose level for the particular hour with a summation of average glucose levels of a patient for hours preceding the particular hour in a 24-hour period, wherein the average glucose level is determined from one or more indications of a glucose level of the patient that are derived from a filament interacting with interstitial fluid;   determining that the current glucose exposure for the particular hour exceeds a target glucose level for the particular hour based on a glucose exposure limit; and   administering treatment to the patient to lower a glucose exposure level of the patient to at or below the glucose exposure limit.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the glucose exposure limit is a 24-hour glucose exposure limit. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the glucose exposure limit is a glucose exposure limit for less than 24 hours. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more of the group comprising rapid-acting insulin, short-acting insulin, intermediate-acting insulin, mixed-insulin, or long-acting insulin. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more drugs to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.