Increasing an insulin bolus by 30% after a high-protein meal may be the best way to reduce delayed postprandial hyperglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus, Australian researchers say.

This level was the optimal amount to prevent postprandial hyperglycaemia without increasing the risk of dipping into hypoglycaemia, reported the team, led by researchers from Newcastle University’s Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Some 26 patients (mean age 22 years, mean duration of diabetes 11 years) took part in the experiment, each consuming a breakfast yoghurt drink containing 50g of protein, 30g of carbohydrate and negligible fat each morning for five days.

The drink was similar in protein and carbohydrate content to eating a lean steak with a baked potato, the authors wrote in Diabetic Medicine.