Why It Is Used
Insulin is used to treat:
- People who have
.
- People with
whose
produces little or no insulin or whose oral
medicines do not control their blood sugar. These people may take insulin
either by itself or along with oral medicine.
- People with type 2
diabetes whose blood sugar levels are high because of a severe illness or major
surgery. After blood sugar levels return to a target range, these people may be
able to stop taking insulin.
- Women with type 2 diabetes who are
pregnant or breast-feeding and who cannot keep their blood sugar levels in a
target range with diet and exercise. Only one oral
diabetes medicine (glyburide) has been studied for use during pregnancy. Until
further research is done, the American Diabetes Association recommends that
pregnant women and women who are breast-feeding not take oral diabetes
medicines.
How Well It Works
Insulin is effective in reducing
blood sugar levels by helping sugar (glucose) enter the cells to be used for
energy.
For people with type 1 diabetes
Results of the
10-year
Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and
the follow-up Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC)
study showed that people with type 1 diabetes who kept their blood sugar levels
in a target range had
fewer incidences of eye, kidney, and nerve damage from diabetes than people who
were on standard therapy. Tightly controlled therapy also lowered the risk of
heart attacks and deaths from heart disease.
Studies have shown that insulin glargine (Lantus) and insulin determir (Levemir) work as well as NPH
insulin for controlling blood sugar in people who have type 1 diabetes. Lantus and Levemir
cause fewer low blood sugar episodes than NPH, especially at night.
Side Effects
The major side effect of insulin can be
a dangerously low blood sugar level (severe hypoglycemia). A very low blood
sugar level can develop in 10 to 15 minutes with rapid-acting
insulins.
Insulin can contribute to weight gain, especially in
people with type 2 diabetes who already are overweight.
Other
possible side effects of long-term insulin use include the loss of fatty tissue
(lipodystrophy) where the insulin is injected and, in rare cases, allergic
reactions that include swelling, or edema.
See Drug Reference for
a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all
systems.)