Modern pharmacology offers patients with diabetes a huge selection of insulin preparations. And today we’ll talk about what types of insulin are.
Insulin: types
All available insulin preparations are divided into three types (depending on the duration of the action and the onset of the therapeutic effect):
- "short";
- "average";
- "long".
Short insulin
It is short-acting insulin preparations that are most often prescribed to patients who have problems with blood sugar.
After the drug enters the human body, it begins to work in thirty minutes. This puts him in the category of highly effective drugs used in the treatment of diabetes. Quite often, this type of insulin is prescribed simultaneously with long-acting insulins.
To make a choice, the following factors must be taken into account:
- general condition of the patient;
- place of administration;
- dosage.
The most popular are insulin preparations that begin to act within the first 15 minutes after administration. This means "Apidra", "Humagol" and "Novorapid."
Features
Among the fast-acting human insulins, the preparations Homorap and Insumad Rapid are worth highlighting. There is practically no difference between them. The only difference is in the amount of residue present in its composition of amino acids.
The "fast" insulin of animal origin also includes the medicines "Insulrap SPP", "Iletin II Regular" and others. They are most often prescribed for type II diabetes. Means from this category contain proteins with a different structure, and therefore are not suitable for all patients. For example, “fast” animal-derived insulins cannot be given to people whose body is not capable of processing animal lipids.
Reception, dosage, storage of "short" insulin
Take the drug immediately before meals. In this case, it is food that accelerates the absorption of insulin, the effect occurs almost immediately.
"Quick" insulins can be taken orally, after diluting them to a liquid state.
If subcutaneous administration of the drug is practiced, then the injection must be done about 30 minutes before the planned meal.
The dosage for each person with diabetes is individually selected. For adults, the dose will be 8-24 units per day, and for children - no more than 8 units.
Store drugs at a temperature of + 2- + 8 degrees. For this, a shelf in the refrigerator door is suitable.
Medium Insulin
Diabetics are forced to take medications that support normal blood sugar levels. But every type of diabetes needs a certain type of insulin. So a drug with an average duration is used when glucose needs a gradual breakdown. It can also be used if at the moment there is no possibility of using "short" insulin.
Features of "medium" insulin
Preparations have several features:
- they begin to act within 10 minutes after administration;
- the tool requires quite a lot of time for complete cleavage.
Insulins from this category can have a different active base, in particular, insulin zinc or isophan. The following drugs have proven particularly good:
- among human insulins - means Protafan, Humulin, Monotard and Homolong;
- among animal remedies - medicines "Berlsulin", "Monotard HM" and "Iletin II".
Long insulin
It is a timely introduced drug that allows diabetics to enjoy life without experiencing discomfort caused by high blood sugar. What is the difference between this type of insulin preparations from others and what types of long-acting insulin exist - let's talk about this.
The main difference between insulin in this case is that the effect of the drug sometimes lasts more than 24 hours.
In addition, all types of extended-acting insulin contain chemical catalysts that ensure the long-term functioning of the drug. They also delay the absorption of sugars. The therapeutic effect occurs after about 4-6 hours, and the duration of action can be up to 36 hours.
Long acting insulins: what types exist
The most commonly prescribed medications are Determit and Glargin. Their main difference is a uniform decrease in blood sugar.
Long-acting insulins are also Ultratard, Ultralente-yletin-1, Huminsulin, Ultralong, etc.
Medicines are prescribed by the attending physician, which further helps to avoid various troubles in the form of side effects.
Use and storage of the drug
This type of insulin can be administered exclusively by injection. Only after entering the body in this way, it begins to work. An injection is placed in the forearm, buttock or thigh.
Before use, the vial must be shaken so that the mixture inside it acquires a uniform consistency. After that, it is ready for use.
Store the drug under the same conditions as short-acting insulins. Such a temperature regime prevents the formation of flakes and granulation of the mixture, as well as the oxidation of the drug.
They inject insulin once, sometimes twice during the day.
The origin of insulin
Differences in insulin - not only in time of action, but also in origin. Animal preparations and insulins that are identical to human are isolated.
To obtain drugs from the first category, the pancreas of pigs, as well as cattle, is used. The biological structure of insulin derived from pig organs is most suitable for humans. The difference in this case is completely insignificant - just one amino acid.
But the best drugs are, of course, human insulins, which are used most often. Production of the product is possible in two ways:
- The first way is to replace one inappropriate amino acid. In this case, semi-synthetic insulin is obtained.
- In the second method of production of the drug involved Escherichia coli, capable of synthesizing protein. This will already be a biosynthetic agent.
Preparations similar to human insulin have several advantages:
- to obtain the desired therapeutic effect requires the introduction of smaller doses;
- the development of lipodystrophy is relatively rare;
- allergy to drugs is practically not observed.
Degree of purification
Depending on the degree of purification, the preparations are divided into:
- traditional
- monopic;
- monocomponent.
Traditional insulins are among the very first insulin preparations. They contained in their composition a huge number of protein impurities, which became the cause of frequent allergic reactions. Currently, the release of such drugs is significantly reduced.
Monopik insulin products have a very small amount of impurities (within acceptable limits). But monocomponent insulins are almost perfectly pure, since the volume of unnecessary impurities is even less than the lower limit.
The main differences between "short" and "long" insulin
| Long insulin | Short insulin |
| Place of introduction | An injection is placed in the thigh, because in this case the drug is absorbed very slowly | An injection is placed in the skin of the abdomen, since in this case insulin begins to work almost immediately |
| Time reference | It is introduced at the same time (morning and evening). At the same time as the morning dose, an injection of "short" insulin is given | Taking the drug 20 to 30 minutes before eating |
| Food binding | "Long" insulin is not associated with food intake | After administration of short insulin, food must be taken without fail. If this is not done, then there is a chance of developing hypoglycemia |
As you can see, the types of insulin (the table clearly shows this) differ in basic indicators. And these features must be considered.
We examined all available types of insulin and their effect on the human body. We hope you find the information helpful. Be healthy!