During illness, what is the purpose of continuing basal insulin in type 1 diabetes?

During illness, what is the purpose of continuing basal insulin in type 1 diabetes?

• A. To gain weight
• B. To stop insulin completely
• C. To maintain baseline insulin levels and prevent ketosis
• D. To reduce glycogen production

Answer: (C)

Keeping basal insulin going during illness provides a steady background insulin level that keeps the liver from overproducing glucose and prevents ketone formation. When illness raises stress hormones, blood sugar tends to spike and fat breakdown increases, which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes if insulin is stopped. Maintaining baseline insulin helps suppress those dangerous changes, keeping glucose in a safer range and preventing ketosis. The other ideas—weight gain, stopping insulin entirely, or specifically reducing glycogen production—don’t address the need to suppress hepatic glucose output and ketogenesis during illness. Insulin actually promotes glycogen storage, so reducing glycogen production isn’t the goal.

Keeping basal insulin going during illness provides a steady background insulin level that keeps the liver from overproducing glucose and prevents ketone formation. When illness raises stress hormones, blood sugar tends to spike and fat breakdown increases, which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes if insulin is stopped. Maintaining baseline insulin helps suppress those dangerous changes, keeping glucose in a safer range and preventing ketosis. The other ideas—weight gain, stopping insulin entirely, or specifically reducing glycogen production—don’t address the need to suppress hepatic glucose output and ketogenesis during illness. Insulin actually promotes glycogen storage, so reducing glycogen production isn’t the goal.