Philippine E-Journals

A Study on the Correlation of Carbon Dioxide in the Breath and Blood Glucose Concentration

Myrtle Anne Marie G. Santos | Pia Erlin R. Calape | Mikaella F. Bogñalbal | Vaschel Anne Hadloc | Maria Carla F. Manzano | Enrique M. Manzano

 

Abstract:

Glucose is a constituent of blood amongst humans and is the primary source of nearly all the energy in the cells and organs of the body. It is formed after the consumption of sustenance in which it is abundant in sugar levels. Glucose undergoes the process of glycolysis in order to oxidize and form adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules which provide our body the energy for cellular activities. Thus, having sufficient glucose in the blood is critical to a human’s wellbeing. On the other hand, an excessive amount of glucose in the blood can lead to serious complications such as diabetes, a disease that damages the body’s ability to process glucose in the blood and is the major cause of organ failures. Patients diagnosed with diabetes are advised to monitor their glucose levels using a portable electronic glucose meter which makes use of the invasive finger-prick method. However, this method is inconvenient for most patients because of its painful and distressing invasive process as this is repeated frequently. In response to a need for a less painful and convenient method for detecting blood sugar level, the authors report a non-invasive alternative method to blood glucose monitoring based on human breath analysis. Data and correlation studies show moderate correlation between breath CO2 concentration and blood glucose level, indicating that breath CO2 concentration can be used as a biomarker for blood sugar levels.