Types of Insulin Treatments for Diabetes in the USA

More than 23 million people in the United States have some form of diabetes, a disease in which their bodies don't produce enough insulin. Depending on what type of diabetes you have, your body might make a little insulin, or none at all. To replace this vital hormone, there are different types of injectable insulin available, the difference between them being their onset time, their peak time and their overall duration. There are also different methods of injection, depending upon your preference and needs.

Injection Methods

• Since the best way to take insulin is to inject it---taking it by mouth would be ineffective as it would dissolve in the stomach acid---there are a number of different injection methods available. The best known way is by syringe, in which the insulin is drawn from a vial and injected as necessary. Insulin pens combine the insulin container with the syringe in one convenient device. Simply attach a needle, set your dose and push the plunger.

External Insulin Pump

• Another method of administering insulin into the bloodstream is to use an external insulin pump. A pump closely mimics the work of the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin in the body. An insulin pump automatically delivers a continuous stream of insulin throughout the day, via a small device that is worn at the waist and attached to the body with a small tube and needle. Before meals, you push a button to administer extra insulin as necessary.

Rapid-Acting Insulin

• Rapid-acting insulins are the fastest-acting of all insulin types. They enter the bloodstream about 15 minutes after injection, peak in about an hour and last for up to four hours. With this type of insulin, it's important to eat within 15 minutes after injection, as a rapid drop in blood sugar may occur otherwise. Called insulin analogues, these have been chemically manipulated in order to work more quickly than non-altered insulins.

Regular or Short-Acting Insulin

• Also known as NPH insulin, the most popular brand available, intermediate-acting insulins are another formulation that closely resembles natural insulin. They reach the bloodstream two to four hours after injection, and can peak anywhere between four and eight hours later. Effects can last from 12 to 20 hours. These are often used in combination with regular or rapid-acting insulins in mixed formulations.

Long-Acting Insulins

• Long-acting insulins, unlike its siblings, are unique as they do not peak. After hitting the bloodstream about two hours after injection, they continue to be effective for up to 26 hours. This is another insulin analogue, and closely mimics the body's natural production of insulin. With no peak to help offset the blood sugar level increase that occurs after a meal, a rapid- or short-acting insulin should be taken before eating.

Premixed Insulins

• Sometimes insulin treatments aren't limited to one type. Depending upon your specific circumstances, your doctor may advise more than one type of insulin be used at different times of the day, or even in the same injection. These combinations are usually a mixture of intermediate-acting insulin and regular or rapid-acting insulin, and are either mixed manually, or available in convenient prefilled injectable pens.