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Types of insulin

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When you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas still produces insulin. Over time, however, less and less of this hormone may be produced. This leads to the need to rely on insulin injections to control your blood glucose levels. Insulin injections may be added while continuing the use of diabetes pills.

Insulin, because it can improve blood glucose control, often will lead to a better quality of life and prevent or delay the complications and side effects of diabetes.

Insulin is divided into categories which are based on:

How fast they start to work
When they reach the peak of their action
How long they stay in your system

Types of Insulin	Names of Insulin	How Fast They Start	When the Action Peaks	How Long They Last
Rapid Acting	Humalog/Lispro Novolog/Aspart	5 - 15 minutes	30 - 90 minutes 1 - 3 hours	3 - 5 hours
Short Acting	Regular	1/2 - 1 hour	2 - 4 hours	6 - 8 hours
Intermediate	NPH	1 - 2 hours	6 - 10 hours	10 - 16 hours
Long Acting	Lantus/Glargine Levemir/Detemir	1 - 2 hours	No peak action	24 - 36 hours

There are also combination insulin mixtures that are premixed, such as:

75/25 mix: 75% NPH (intermediate-acting) and 25% Lispro (rapid-acting)
70/30 mix: 70% NPH and 30% Regular (short-acting)
50/50 mix: 50% NPH and 50% Regular

Each person responds differently to insulin. Your doctor will determine the best type of insulin and the best insulin schedule for you.

Review Date: 6/17/2008
Reviewed By: Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Previously reviewed by Alan Greene, M.D., FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine; Chief of Future Health, A.D.A.M., Inc. (5/1/2006)

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