Insulin is a hormone important people, produced by beta cells or islets of Langerhans in the pancreas and is excreted in human blood. Insulin is needed to maintain normal human metabolism, including regulation of blood glucose and lipid levels. The presence of insulin results in lower blood glucose in the blood, the lack of insulin results in glucose uptake by cells and reduced the increased use of fats to generate energy.
For people with type I and type II diabetes, the body is unable to secrete enough insulin or cells do not respond to insulin secreted from the pancreas. Therefore these people need to depend on an external source of insulin in the form of injections to maintain normal metabolism and functions.
In the U.S. there are various forms of insulin, and there are over 20 different varieties of commercial insulin. There are several factors that differentiate these types from each other. This is especially the case where insulin was extracted at the injection site, onset, the peak time and duration of activity. Each type of insulin works in different pace and in a different period. They said the commercially available insulin were classified in four basic types.
1. Insulin quick response generated by what is fast. Launch of insulin action is very fast, it shows a clear peak and a very short time. This type of insulin is considered good for dosage meals.
2. Short-acting insulin: Although the effect of insulin is fast, it’s not as instant as the types of quick action. The beginning is slow, it has a strong point, which came after several hours after injection, and it has a short time.
3. Intermediate and long-acting insulin: This is called basal insulin. Actually, this insulin is a very long time with a slow but steady stream of drugs.
4. Premixed insulin: this is usually a combination of intermediate-acting and short-or rapid-acting insulin.