A mathematical model for insulin kinetics. III. Sensitivity analysis of the model.

A non-linear mathematical model involving four variables and several constants incorporating beta-cell kinetics, a glucose-insulin feedback system and a gastrointestinal absorption term had been applied in earlier papers to various forms of diabetes mellitus. In this paper, we examine the response of the system to variations in the parameters and to initial conditions using sensitivity analysis. It is found that such a method leads to results that are consistent with clinical findings. Further, it is suggested that such an analysis could help in making some predictions regarding future directions in the therapy of diabetes mellitus.