Health Tip: Understanding Various Types of Insulin

Sunday 21st June 2009 HCFI New Delhi: Insulin is a lifeline to diabetic patients. But not all types of insulin are the same, said Dr KK Aggarwal President Heart Care Foundation of India and Director IMAAKN Sinha Institute.

Heart Care Foundation of India offers this information about insulin's different forms:
"Rapid-acting" insulin (available as Humalog or lispro) begins to work right away after injection and is most effective after about an hour. It's usually taken just before mealtime.
"Regular," or short-acting insulin ( plain, humainsulin, R, regular)  is to be taken 30 minutes to 45 minutes before meals, but it takes longer to work, and keeps working longer. If taken just before the meals it may cause low sugar.
"Intermediate-acting" insulin, often called NPH or Lente, is combined with another substance that helps it work more slowly. This type of insulin can last as long as 18 hours.
"Long-acting" insulin, dubbed Ultralente, is commonly taken early in the morning or at bedtime, and can last for up to 20 hours.
"Very long-acting insulin," or glargine (Lentus) begins working about an hour after it's injected and can remain consistently effective for about 24 hours. It is usually given at bed time and does not cause low sugar but the insulin is costly.