Abstract

MATHEWS, Edward H  and  LIEBENBERG, Leon. Engineering Principles and Medical Discoveries. R&D j. (Matieland, Online) [online]. 2010, vol.26, pp.34-42. ISSN 2309-8988.

Engineering researchers often tackle problems slightly differently from medical researchers. Engineers usually try to model a phenomenon and then test its validity. Medical researchers on the other hand usually do large empirical studies and derive models from the statistical analyses. In this paper we show the value of the engineering approach as applied to the problem of carbohydrate (CHO) metabolism into blood glucose in the body. We show that the engineering approach leads to a more acceptable description than the one currently used for food labelling. It is also more practical than other detailed attempts to solve the historical problem. The CHO metabolism model is used to simulate the full blood glucose cycle, using engineering equivalents. Correct modelling of this cycle is valuable as blood glucose inter alia infíuences cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the performance of sportspeople. Clinical verifícation of the model showed that it was within 1 mmol/L from more than 600 measurements for 80 % of the time. It can be deduced that the engineering approach and experience in engineering systems were vital in making these discoveries and developing the models in an important fíeld of medicine.

Keywords : Energy modelling.

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