Back to Search
Start Over
I'm a doctor, not a mathematician! Homeostasis as a proportional-integral control system
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- The distinction between "healthy" and "unhealthy" patients is commonly based on single, discrete values taken at an isolated point in time (e.g., blood pressure or core temperature). Perhaps a more robust and insightful diagnosis can be obtained by studying the functional interdependence of such indicators and the homeostasis that controls them. This requires quasi-continuous measurements and a procedure to map the data onto a parsimonious control model with a degree of universality. The current research illustrates this approach using glucose homeostasis as a target. Data were obtained from 41 healthy subjects wearing over-the-counter glucose monitors, and projected onto a simple proportional-integral (PI) controller, widely used in engineering applications. The indicators quantifying the control function are clustered for the great majority of subjects, while a few outliers exhibit less efficient homeostasis. Practical implications for healthcare and education are further discussed.
- Subjects :
- Physics - Medical Physics
Quantitative Biology - Tissues and Organs
34H05, 92Cxx
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.1912.13148
- Document Type :
- Working Paper