Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows the body to use glucose from carbohydrates in the food that you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use. Insulin helps keeps your blood glucose level from getting too high or too low.
Synthetic human insulin was made to treat people living with Type 1 but can also be used to treat Type 2. There are various types of insulin:
Rapid-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 15 minutes after injection and peaks at approximately 1 hour but continues to work for 2 to 4 hours. This is usually taken before a meal and in addition to a long-acting insulin.
Short-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 30 minutes after injection and peaks at approximately 2 to 3 hours but will continue to work for 3 to 6 hours. It is usually given before a meal and in addition to a long-acting insulin.
Intermediate-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 2 to 4 hours after injection and peaks approximately 4 to 12 hours later and continues to work for 12-18 hours. It is usually taken twice a day in the morning or evening and in addition to a rapid- or short-acting insulin before meals.
Long-acting insulin: It starts to work after several hours after injection and works for approximately 24 hours. (There is a long-acting insulin that works over 48 hours.) If necessary, it’s often used in combination with rapid- or short-acting insulin.
Reference: www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/what-insulin
