However, a number of meta-analyses, including those done by the Cochrane Collaboration in 2005, Germanys Institute for Quality and Cost Effectiveness in the Health Care Sector [IQWiG] released in 2007, and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health (CADTH) also released in 2007 have shown no unequivocal advantages in clinical use of insulin analogues over more conventional insulin types.Choosing insulin type and dosage/timing should be done by an experienced medical professional working closely with people who are diabetic .The commonly used types of insulin are as follows. Fast-acting
Includes the insulin analogues aspart, lispro, and glulisine. These begin to work within 5 to 15 minutes and are active for 3 to 4 hours. Most insulins form hexamers, which delay entry into the blood in active form; these analog insulins do not but have normal insulin activity. Newer varieties are now pending regulatory approval in the U.S. which are designed to work rapidly, but retain the same genetic structure as regular human insulin. Short-acting
Includes regular insulin, which begins working within 30 minutes and is active about 5 to 8 hours. Intermediate-acting
Includes NPH insulin, which begins working in 1 to 3 hours and is active for 16 to 24 hours. Long-acting
Includes the analogues glargine U100 and detemir, each of which begins working within 1 to 2 hours and continues to be active, without major peaks or dips, for about 24 hours, although this varies in many individuals.
A special FDA importation process is required to obtain bovine or porcine derived insulin for use in the U.S., although there may be some remaining stocks of porcine insulin made by Lilly in 2005 or earlier, and porcine lente insulin is also sold and marketed under the brand name Vetsulin(SM) in the U.S. for veterinary usage in the treatment of companion animals with diabetes. Basal insulin
In type 1 diabetes, insulin production is extremely low, and as such the body requires exogenous insulin. Some people with type 2 diabetes, particularly those with very high hemoglobin A1c values, may also require a baseline rate of insulin, as their body is desensitized to the level of insulin being produced. Basal insulin regulates the bodys blood glucose between mealtimes, as well as overnight. This basal rate of insulin action is generally achieved via the use of an intermediate-acting insulin (such as NPH) or a long-acting insulin analog. In type 1 diabetics, it may also be achieved via continuous infusion of rapid-acting insulin using an insulin pump. Approximately half of a persons daily insulin requirement is administered as a basal insulin, usually administered once per day at night. Prandial insulin
When a person eats food containing carbohydrates and glucose, insulin helps regulate the bodys metabolism of the food. Prandial insulin, also called mealtime or bolus insulin, is designed as a bolus dose of insulin prior to a meal to regulate the spike in blood glucose that occurs following a meal.