{
  "slug": "total-daily-insulin-dose",
  "title": "Total Daily Insulin Dose Estimator",
  "heading": "Total Daily Insulin Dose Calculator",
  "category": "fitness-health",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/total-daily-insulin-dose",
  "summary": "Weight-based starting insulin dose split into basal and bolus components.",
  "description": "This estimates a starting total daily insulin dose (TDD) from body weight, a common approach when initiating or transitioning a patient onto a basal-bolus insulin regimen, then splits it into basal and mealtime bolus components using standard convention (roughly half basal, half bolus split across meals). Typical weight-based starting estimates run 0.3-0.5 units/kg/day for many type 2 diabetes patients, 0.4-0.6 units/kg/day for hospitalized patients requiring basal-bolus dosing, and often lower (0.2-0.4 units/kg/day) for insulin-sensitive, renally impaired, elderly, or newly diagnosed patients where hypoglycemia risk is a greater concern than hyperglycemia. This is a starting-point estimate only — actual insulin requirements vary enormously by insulin resistance, residual beta-cell function, steroid use, infection, and other factors, and doses should be titrated based on glucose monitoring, not fixed at the calculated starting value. This tool is for education and workflow support only — not medical advice. Always verify results with a clinician and use clinical judgment alongside your institution's protocols.",
  "formula": "TDD = weight (kg) × units/kg/day factor; Basal ≈ 50% of TDD; Bolus ≈ 50% of TDD split evenly across meals.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=total-daily-insulin-dose",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "weight",
      "label": "Weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 85,
      "unit": "kg",
      "min": 20,
      "max": 250
    },
    {
      "id": "factor",
      "label": "Starting factor",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "0.4",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "0.2",
          "label": "Conservative / hypoglycemia risk (0.2 u/kg)"
        },
        {
          "value": "0.3",
          "label": "Lower estimate (0.3 u/kg)"
        },
        {
          "value": "0.4",
          "label": "Typical starting estimate (0.4 u/kg)"
        },
        {
          "value": "0.5",
          "label": "Higher estimate (0.5 u/kg)"
        },
        {
          "value": "0.6",
          "label": "Insulin-resistant / higher need (0.6 u/kg)"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "meals",
      "label": "Meals per day",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 5
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "tdd",
      "label": "Estimated total daily dose",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "basal",
      "label": "Suggested basal dose",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "bolusTotal",
      "label": "Suggested total bolus dose",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "bolusPerMeal",
      "label": "Bolus per meal",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Weight: 85 kg",
      "Starting factor: Typical starting estimate (0.4 u/kg)",
      "Meals per day: 3"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated total daily dose: 34",
      "Suggested basal dose: 17",
      "Suggested total bolus dose: 17",
      "Bolus per meal: 5.7"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter weight (kg).",
      "Enter starting factor.",
      "Enter meals per day.",
      "Read your estimated total daily dose on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "weight": 85,
        "factor": "0.4",
        "meals": 2
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "weight": 85,
        "factor": "0.4",
        "meals": 3
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "weight": 85,
        "factor": "0.4",
        "meals": 5
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Population formulas describe averages; individual bodies vary, especially at the extremes of height, age, or muscle mass.",
    "Results do not account for medical conditions, medication, or pregnancy.",
    "Use this as a directional reference, not a diagnosis — talk to a clinician before acting on it."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Is 0.5/0.5 always the right basal/bolus split?",
      "a": "It's the most common starting convention, but some patients — especially those eating very little, on continuous tube feeds, or with erratic oral intake — may need a higher proportion of basal relative to bolus. The split should be reassessed based on actual glucose patterns, not left fixed indefinitely."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why would I choose a lower starting factor like 0.2 units/kg?",
      "a": "Elderly patients, those with renal impairment (which prolongs insulin clearance), newly diagnosed patients with residual beta-cell function, or anyone where a hypoglycemic event would be especially dangerous (falls risk, hypoglycemia unawareness) generally warrant a more conservative starting dose with closer titration upward as needed."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this apply to type 1 diabetes?",
      "a": "The same weight-based starting logic is sometimes used at diagnosis or during transitions, but type 1 diabetes patients are generally more insulin-sensitive and prone to hypoglycemia than type 2 patients on this dosing range, so many protocols start type 1 patients at the lower end (around 0.4-0.5 units/kg/day total) with careful titration and structured carb-ratio dosing rather than a flat estimate."
    },
    {
      "q": "What should happen after starting at this estimated dose?",
      "a": "Glucose should be monitored closely (typically before meals and at bedtime, or continuously with a CGM) and the total dose, basal/bolus split, and individual meal ratios adjusted every few days based on the pattern of highs and lows — this estimate is only meant to get a reasonable, safe starting point, not a final regimen."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/insulin-correction-dose",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ideal-body-weight",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/adjusted-body-weight"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Total Daily Insulin Dose Estimator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/total-daily-insulin-dose)"
}