Diacentrum – helping people with diabetes

The term insulin is used in a number of different situations. Insulin as a hormone, insulin as a molecule, insulin as a vial with the solution that the patient injects into himself, and others. It is important to remember that insulin is produced and added to a number of types of insulin preparations. They all contain the same hormone (the same molecule) but the substances in which the insulin is dissolved differs. Each kind of insulin preparation has, therefore, slightly different properties as to the rate of absorption, the time is most effective, and the duration period when it is active. The correct choice of the type of preparation for a specific period (day – night) makes it possible to supply the body with insulin in the required dose.

At present, our patients are treated either with manufactured human insulins or genetically modified types (insulin analogues). The formerly widely used animal insulins (which were extracted from the tissue of pigs or cattle) have not been used for some time now.

Types of insulin preparations

It is difficult to provide a simple classification of today‘s wide range of insulin preparations. For our purposes the following classifications will be employed:

I.Human insulins

A.    supplied before meals:

      -fast acting insulins and their analogues (used to cover the glucose intake at main

       meals)

B.    insulins used as a source of a basal dose:

      -the so-called long-acting insulins and their analogues (used to cover the so-called basal doses of

       insulin, especially at night).

C.    insulin mixtures:

     -a mixture of one type of insulin from group A and one from group B above (in ratios

      depending on the types). Their properties are the result of the properties of both the types.

II.Genetically modified insulins (insulin analogues)

-       genetically modified molecules of insulin which have the same effect in the target tissues as normal insulin molecules but differ in the speed with which they are absorbed. This enables the body to maintain a more balanced level of glycemia. There are both short- and long-acting analogues available.

The properties of the types of most frequently used insulins (the time given is in hours)