- What is insulin for
- What regulates insulin production
- When you need to take insulin
- 1. Basal-acting insulin
- 2. Bolus-acting insulin
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that is responsible for bringing the glucose in the blood into the cells to be used as an energy source for the body's functioning processes.
The main stimulus for insulin production is the increase in the amount of sugar in the blood after meals. When the production of this hormone is insufficient or absent, as in diabetes, sugar cannot be taken into the cells and, therefore, ends up accumulating in the blood and urine, causing complications such as retinopathy, renal failure, injuries that do not heal and even favor stroke, for example.
Diabetes is a disease that alters the amount of insulin produced, as it affects the pancreas' ability to produce this hormone, and it can be since birth, which is type 1 diabetes, or acquired throughout life, which is type diabetes. 2. In these cases, it may be necessary to use medicines to control sugar levels or even use synthetic insulin to simulate the action of what should be produced by the body.
Understand better about symptoms and how to identify diabetes.
What is insulin for
Insulin has the ability to capture the glucose that is in the blood, and take it to the organs of the body, such as the brain, liver, fat and muscles, where it can be used to produce energy, proteins, cholesterol and triglycerides to give energy to body, or to be stored.
The pancreas produces insulin of 2 types:
- Basal: is the continuous secretion of insulin, to maintain a constant minimum throughout the day; Bolus: it is when the pancreas releases large quantities at once, after each feeding, thus preventing the sugar in food from accumulating in the blood.
That is why, when a person needs to use synthetic insulin to treat diabetes, it is also important to use these two types: one that should be injected once a day, and another that should be injected after meals.
What regulates insulin production
There is another hormone, also produced in the pancreas, that has the opposite action of insulin, called glucagon. It works by releasing the glucose that is stored in fat, liver and muscles into the blood, for the body to use when sugar levels are very low, such as during a fasting period, for example.
The action of these 2 hormones, insulin and glucagon, is very important to balance the amount of glucose in the blood, preventing it from being in excess or lacking, as both situations bring bad complications to the body.
When you need to take insulin
It is necessary to use synthetic insulin in situations where the body is unable to produce it in the necessary quantities, as in type 1 diabetes or severe type 2 diabetes. Understand better when it is necessary to start using insulin for diabetics.
The synthetic insulin of medicines mimics the body's insulin secretion throughout the day, both basal and bolus, so there are several types, which differ by the speed with which they act on blood glucose:
1. Basal-acting insulin
They are synthetic insulins that mimic the basal insulin that is released gradually by the pancreas throughout the day, and can be:
- Intermediate action or NPH, such as Insulatard, Humulin N, Novolin N or Insuman Basal: lasts up to 12 hours in the body, and can also be used to maintain a constant amount of insulin in the body; Slow action, like Lantus, Levemir or Tresiba: it is the insulin that is released continuously and slowly over 24 hours, which maintains a minimal action throughout the day.
Ultra-long-acting insulins with a duration of up to 42 hours are also being marketed, which can give the person greater convenience, reducing the amount of bites.
2. Bolus-acting insulin
They are the hormones used to replace the insulin that is produced after feeding, to prevent glucose from rising too fast in the blood, and are:
- Fast or regular insulin, such as Novolin R or Humulin R: mimics the insulin that is released when we eat, so it starts working in 30 minutes, taking effect for about 2 hours; Ultra-fast insulin, such as Humalog, Novorapid and Apidra: it is the insulin that has an almost immediate action to prevent food from increasing blood sugar levels too much, and should be applied right before eating.
These substances are applied to the fat tissue under the skin with the aid of a syringe or special pens for this function. In addition, an option is the use of the insulin pump, which is a small device that is attached to the body, and can be programmed to release basal or bolus insulin according to the needs of each person.
Learn more about the types of insulin, their properties and how to use.
