Insulin Medications
Alternate Terms:- Quick Acting Insulin
- Fast Acting Insulin
- Very Fast Acting Insulin
- Very Quick Acting Insulin
- Long Acting Insulin
- Very Long Acting Insulin
- Ultra Long Acting Insulin
- Intermediate Acting Insulin
- Insulin Mixtures
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Insulin Medications Definition by Healthwise:
Insulin is a hormone produced by pancreas to regulate blood sugar as aid in metabolism. For people with diabetes, the body may not produce enough insulin or may not be able to use the insulin it does produce. So, insulin medications are taken to make sure that the body has the insulin it needs. There are several types of insulin medications and their difference lies in how fast the insulin can be used by the body and how long that effect lasts. Fast and very fast acting insulins start to impact blood sugar levels quickly (5 to 60 minutes), but only last for 3 to 8 hours. They are commonly taken before a meal to compensate for glucose intake from food. Long acting and very long acting insulins are slower to take effect (1 to 6 hours), but keep working for about 24 hours. Intermediate acting insulin fall in between, while insulin mixtures may include a combination of fast and long acting insulins.
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