Profile switch & Profile Percentage

This section will explain what is a Profile Switch and Profile Percentage. You can learn about how to create a Profile at Config Builder - profile.

When first embarking on your AAPS journey, you will need to create a Profile, understand how to action a Profile Switch and learn the impact of a Profile Percentage within AAPS. The features of a Profile Switch or Profile Percentage can offer be particularly beneficial for:

  • the Menstrual Cycle - a percentage adjustment within a Profile can be set up in Automations in order to allow AAPS to accommodate for different stages of the hormone cycle and with predicted insulin resistance.

  • Exercise - a percentage adjustment within a Profile can be set up in Automations for exercise in order to reduce basal intake.

  • Night or pattern shift workers - a time shift in Profile can be set up for pattern shift workers by altering the number of hours in the Profile to how much later/earlier the user will go to bed or wake up.

Why use a Profile Percentage rather than a temporary basal adjustment? To be more effective in its application a Profile Percentage applies a proportionate reduction or increase across: basal, ISF and I:C. This ensures a balanced approach is calculated by AAPS when administering the user’s insulin intake. Little benefit can be gained in a user’s Profile in AAPS by a basal reduction if the algorithm continues to deliver the same ratios for ISF and I:C.

How to activate a Profile Switch?

Each Profile once selected by the user will require a “Profile Switch”. To do this, the user should edit their Profile or set up a new Profile within the “Local Profile” tab. Once the desired settings have been applied, the user should save their changes and activate the Profile by selecting ‘Activate Profile’ as shown below:

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Once a new Profile has been created and saved, AAPS will maintain a library of the user’s Profiles as generated by the user.

How to activate a Profile Switch?

A. In order use this feature the user must have more than one Profile saved within AAPS. To activate a Profile Switch:

  • long-press on the name of the Profile (the example below adopts a ‘Profile’ saved as: “(Lyum) low” on AAPS’ homescreen and selects the desired Profile form the drop down tab:

  1. Long press Profile;

  2. Select desired Profile; and

  3. then press ‘ok’.

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To activate a Profile Percentage within Profile Switch:

B. To activate a Profile Percentage:

  • Follow the steps at A above.

  • Adjust the fields for ‘Duration’ and ‘Percentage’ as required but noting the following. If the ‘Duration’ field (in as shown in icon 2 below) is:

    • left ‘zero’, this will remain active in the Profile for an infinite amount of time. The Profile will remain active until the new “Profile switch” is selected and switched by the user.

    • entered with the number of [x] minutes this will be the desired time period for the Profile. Upon expiry of the selected time frame, the standard Profile will revert into AAPS.

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How to action a Profile ‘Percentage’:

  1. Enter ‘Duration’ field.

  2. Enter ‘Percentage’ field.

  3. Enter ‘Time Shift’.

To activate a Profile Percentage within Profile Switch:

It is important that a user understands the essential features of a Profile Percentage. By applying a percentage increase or decrease to a Profile Switch this will apply in the same percentage to either raise or lower the user’s settings parameters as set within the Profile.

For example: a Profile Switch to 130% (means the user is 30% more insulin resistant) will instruct AAPS to

  • increase the basal rate by 30%;

  • lower the ISF: by dividing by 1.3;

  • lower the I:C by dividing by 1.3.

Remember lowering the ISF or I:C means a stronger ratio and more insulin being administered. This fact can be easily overlooked by new users to AAPS.

Once selected, AAPS readjusts the default basal rate, and AAPS (open or closed) will continue to work on top of the selected percentage Profile.

The effect of a Profile Percentage is summarized in the table below:

| Profile Switch
Percentage | Effect | I:C
g/UI | example
15g | ISF
mmol/l/UI
mg/dl/UI | UI to lower
2mmol/l
40mg/dl | |:—————————:|:————:|:—————–:|:————-:|:——————————————:|:——————————-:| | 90% | Weaker | 5/0.9
=5.55 | 2.7 UI | 2.2/0.9
=2.4

40/0.9
=44.4 | 0.8 UI | | 100% | Standard | 5 | 3 UI | 2.2
40
| 0.9 UI | | 130% | Stronger | 5/1.3
=3.85 | 3.9 UI | 2.2/1.3
=1.7

40/1.3
=30.8 | 1.2 UI |

Time shift of the Circadian Percentage Profile

A ‘time shift’ within a user’s Profile feature will move the user’s Profile’s settings around the day-to-day clock (‘circadian’) to the desired number of hours entered. This can be helpful for:

  • night shift or pattern workers: work night shifts by altering the number of hours to how much later/earlier in the Profile the user will go to bed or wake up;

  • users changing time zones during travelling; or

  • users who are type 1 children: and have a set bedtime routine and insulin resistance catered for within their Profile. If for whatever reason, there is a predicted later bedtime for the child, the caregiver can apply a ‘time shift’ to the child’s Profile to allow AAPS to react to insulin resistance at a desired time period as set by the user.

It is always a question of which hour’s Profile’s settings should replace the settings of the current time. יש להזיז זמן זה ב-X שעות. So please be mindful of the directions as described in the following example:

  • השעה הנוכחית: 12:00

  • היסט זמן חיובי :

    • 2:00 +10 שעות -> 12:00

    • הגדרות מ-2:00 ישמשו במקום ההגדרות המשמשות בדרך כלל ב-12:00 בגלל שינוי הזמן החיובי.

  • היסט זמן שלילי :

    • 22:00 -10 שעות -> 12:00

    • הגדרות מ-22:00 ישמשו במקום ההגדרות המשמשות בדרך כלל ב-12:00 בגלל שינוי הזמן השלילי.

Profile switch timeshift directions

This mechanism of taking snapshots of the Profile allows a much more precise calculation of the past and the possibility to track Profile changes.

Keep a profile switch for later use

Once you have performed a profile switch with percentage and/or timeshift, you can make a copy of this temporary profile into a new profile.

To do this, go to the tab Treatments > Profile Switch.