Type 2 Diabetes - Insulin
In the past, insulin was produced using the pancreas of animals such as cows and pigs, even salmon.
The trouble was animal insulins vary slightly from human insulins, and despite a purification process, still caused, occasionally, skin and immune system reactions in humans.
Since 1978 insulin has been produced by adapting the e.
coli bacteria, resulting in pure human insulin.
Insulin is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes when the combination of oral medicine and diet is no longer sufficient to control blood sugars.
Unlike the pancreas, no method has yet been devised to release insulin to coincide with the daily variations in the amount of insulin the body needs.
However, rather than have to continually check blood sugar levels and consequently have to inject insulin many times a day, various forms of insulin have been devised.
Lispo and aspart (Novorapid and Humalog respectively) are fast acting insulins, and start to lower blood sugar levels within 5 minutes of being injected, are at maximum effect at one hour and become inactive after 3 hours.
The advantage of this over older style fast acting insulins is that they can be taken just as the diabetic has a meal, as opposed to the older style insulins where food had to be taken within 30 minutes of injecting, to reduce the risk of a hypoglycaemic episode.
Because these insulins become inactive after three hours, the chances of hypoglycaemia are much reduced.
To keep blood sugar levels low between meals, short acting, regular insulin was developed.
It works by taking 30 minutes to start reducing blood sugar levels, peaks 3 hours later and is ineffective after 8 hours.
NPH and lente insulins attempt to replicate the body's natural state, in that they start to work after 2 hours and continue working for 10 -12 hours, becoming inactive after 24 hours.
This ensures that a there is always some insulin active in the body.
Long acting ultralente insulin works differently in some diabetics than others, taking effect after 6 hours of administration and working at a low level for up to 26 hours.
It requires just one injection a day.
Another long acting insulin is called glargine and is particularly appropriate for type 1 diabetics.
It starts to work 1-2 hours after injection.
Where in the body it is injected is not important, it does not cause low blood sugar at night, and it lasts for 24 hours with no peak time of activity.
There are also insulins that are premixed, either 70% NPH and 30% regular insulin, or a 50/50 mix.
These are useful for someone who does not like mixing insulin's in one syringe, perhaps because of bad eyesight, or if they find that they are stable.
The trouble was animal insulins vary slightly from human insulins, and despite a purification process, still caused, occasionally, skin and immune system reactions in humans.
Since 1978 insulin has been produced by adapting the e.
coli bacteria, resulting in pure human insulin.
Insulin is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes when the combination of oral medicine and diet is no longer sufficient to control blood sugars.
Unlike the pancreas, no method has yet been devised to release insulin to coincide with the daily variations in the amount of insulin the body needs.
However, rather than have to continually check blood sugar levels and consequently have to inject insulin many times a day, various forms of insulin have been devised.
Lispo and aspart (Novorapid and Humalog respectively) are fast acting insulins, and start to lower blood sugar levels within 5 minutes of being injected, are at maximum effect at one hour and become inactive after 3 hours.
The advantage of this over older style fast acting insulins is that they can be taken just as the diabetic has a meal, as opposed to the older style insulins where food had to be taken within 30 minutes of injecting, to reduce the risk of a hypoglycaemic episode.
Because these insulins become inactive after three hours, the chances of hypoglycaemia are much reduced.
To keep blood sugar levels low between meals, short acting, regular insulin was developed.
It works by taking 30 minutes to start reducing blood sugar levels, peaks 3 hours later and is ineffective after 8 hours.
NPH and lente insulins attempt to replicate the body's natural state, in that they start to work after 2 hours and continue working for 10 -12 hours, becoming inactive after 24 hours.
This ensures that a there is always some insulin active in the body.
Long acting ultralente insulin works differently in some diabetics than others, taking effect after 6 hours of administration and working at a low level for up to 26 hours.
It requires just one injection a day.
Another long acting insulin is called glargine and is particularly appropriate for type 1 diabetics.
It starts to work 1-2 hours after injection.
Where in the body it is injected is not important, it does not cause low blood sugar at night, and it lasts for 24 hours with no peak time of activity.
There are also insulins that are premixed, either 70% NPH and 30% regular insulin, or a 50/50 mix.
These are useful for someone who does not like mixing insulin's in one syringe, perhaps because of bad eyesight, or if they find that they are stable.
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