ultra rapid-acting
Another type of insulin, called premixed insulin, is a combination of insulins listed in Table 1. Premixed insulin starts to work in 15 to 60 minutes and can last from 10 to 16 hours. The peak time varies depending on which insulins are mixed.
Your doctor will work with you to review your medication options. Talk with your doctor about your activity level, what you eat and drink, how well you manage your blood glucose levels, your age and lifestyle, and how long your body takes to absorb insulin.
Follow your doctor’s advice on when and how to take your insulin. If you're worried about the cost, talk with your doctor. Some types of insulin cost more than others. You can also find resources to get financial help for diabetes care .
The way you take insulin may depend on your lifestyle, insurance plan, and preferences. Talk with your doctor about the options and which one is best for you. Most people with diabetes take insulin using a needle and syringe, insulin pen, or insulin pump. Inhalers and insulin jet injectors are less common ways to take insulin. Artificial pancreas systems are now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Talk with your doctor to see if an artificial pancreas is an option for you.
You can give yourself insulin shots using a needle and syringe . You draw up your dose of insulin from the vial—or bottle—through the needle into the syringe. Insulin works fastest when you inject it in your belly, but your doctor may recommend alternating the spot where you inject it. Injecting insulin in the same spot repeatedly could cause the tissue to harden, making it harder to take shots in that area over time. Other spots you can inject insulin include your thigh, buttocks, or upper arm, but it may take longer for the insulin to work from those areas. Some people with diabetes who take insulin need 2 to 4 shots a day to reach their blood glucose targets. Others can take a single shot. Injection aids can help you give yourself the shots.
An insulin pen looks like a writing pen but has a needle for its point. Some insulin pens come filled with insulin and are disposable. Others have room for an insulin cartridge that you insert and replace after use. Many people find insulin pens easier to use, but they cost more than needles and syringes. You may want to consider using an insulin pen if you find it hard to fill the syringe while holding the vial or cannot read the markings on the syringe. Different pen types have features that can help with your injections. Some reusable pens have a memory function, which can recall dose amounts and timing. Other types of “connected” insulin pens can be programmed to calculate insulin doses and provide downloadable data reports, which can help you and your doctor adjust your insulin doses.
An insulin pump is a small machine that gives you steady doses of insulin throughout the day. You wear one type of pump outside your body on a belt or in a pocket or pouch. The insulin pump connects to a small plastic tube and a very small needle. You insert the plastic tube with a needle under your skin, then take out the needle. The plastic tube will stay inserted for several days while attached to the insulin pump. The machine pumps insulin through the tube into your body 24 hours a day and can be programmed to give you more or less insulin based on your needs. You can also give yourself doses of insulin through the pump at mealtimes.
Another type of pump has no tubes. This pump attaches directly to your skin with a self-adhesive pad and is controlled by a hand-held device. The plastic tube and pump device are changed every several days.
Another way to take insulin is by breathing powdered insulin into your mouth from an inhaler device. The insulin goes into your lungs and moves quickly into your blood. You may want to use an insulin inhaler to avoid using needles. Inhaled insulin is only for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Taking insulin with an inhaler is less common than using a needle and syringe.
A jet injector is a device that sends a fine spray of insulin into the skin at high pressure instead of using a needle to deliver the insulin. It is used less commonly than a needle and syringe or a pen.
An artificial pancreas is a system of three devices that work together to mimic how a healthy pancreas controls blood glucose in the body. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) tracks blood glucose levels every few minutes using a small sensor inserted under the skin that is held in place with an adhesive pad. The CGM wirelessly sends the information to a program on a smartphone or an insulin infusion pump. The program calculates how much insulin you need. The insulin infusion pump will adjust how much insulin is given from minute to minute to help keep your blood glucose level in your target range. An artificial pancreas is mainly used to help people with type 1 diabetes.
You may need to take medicines to manage your type 2 diabetes, in addition to consuming healthy foods and beverages and being physically active. You can take many diabetes medicines by mouth. These medicines are called oral medicines.
Most people with type 2 diabetes start with metformin pills. Metformin also comes as a liquid. Metformin helps your liver make less glucose and helps your body use insulin better. This drug may help you lose a small amount of weight.
Other oral medicines act in different ways to lower blood glucose levels. Combining two or three kinds of diabetes medicines can lower blood glucose levels better than taking just one medicine.
Read about different kinds of diabetes medicines (PDF, 2.8 MB) from the FDA.
If you have type 1 diabetes, your doctor may recommend you take other medicines, in addition to insulin, to help control your blood glucose. Some of these medicines work to slow how fast food and beverages move through your stomach . These medicines also slow down how quickly and how high your blood glucose levels rise after eating. Other medicines work to block certain hormones in your digestive system that raise blood glucose levels after meals or help the kidneys to remove more glucose from your blood.
Besides insulin, other types of injected medicines (PDF, 2.8 MB) are available that will keep your blood glucose level from rising too high after you eat or drink. These medicines, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, 3 may make you feel less hungry and help you lose some weight. GLP-1 medicines are not substitutes for insulin.
Side effects are problems that result from taking a medicine. Some diabetes medicines can cause hypoglycemia , also called low blood glucose, if you don’t balance your medicines with food and activity.
Ask your doctor whether your diabetes medicine can cause hypoglycemia or other side effects, such as upset stomach and weight gain. Aim to take your diabetes medicines as your doctor instructs you, to help prevent side effects and diabetes problems.
If medicines and lifestyle changes are not enough to manage your diabetes, there are other treatments that might help you. These treatments include weight-loss (bariatric) surgery for certain people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or pancreatic islet transplantation for some people with type 1 diabetes.
Weight-loss surgery are operations that help you lose weight by making changes to your digestive system. Weight-loss surgery is also called bariatric or metabolic surgery.
This type of surgery may help some people who have obesity and type 2 diabetes lose a large amount of weight and bring their blood glucose levels back to a healthy range. How long the improved response lasts can vary by patient, type of weight-loss surgery, and the amount of weight the person lost. Other factors include how long a person had diabetes and whether the person used insulin. Some people with type 2 diabetes may no longer need to use diabetes medicines after weight-loss surgery . 4
Researchers are studying whether weight-loss surgery can help control blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes who have obesity. 5
Pancreatic islet transplantation is an experimental treatment for people with type 1 diabetes who have trouble controlling their blood glucose levels. Pancreatic islets are clusters of cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks these cells. A pancreatic islet transplantation replaces destroyed islets with new islets from organ donors. The new islets make and release insulin. Because researchers are still studying pancreatic islet transplantation , the procedure is only available to people enrolled in research studies.
The NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including diabetes. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.
Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help health care professionals and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.
Find out if clinical trials are right for you .
Researchers are studying many aspects of diabetes medicines, including
Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.
You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on insulin, medicines, and other diabetes treatments covered in this health topic that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov . You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe. Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
The NIDDK would like to thank Stuart A. Weinzimer, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine
Learn more about type 1 diabetes from endocrinologist Yogish Kudva, M.B.B.S.
I'm Dr. Yogish C. Kudva an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic. In this video, we'll cover the basics of type 1 diabetes. What is it? Who gets it? The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Whether you're looking for answers for yourself or someone you love. We are here to give you the best information available. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the insulin making cells of the pancreas. It's estimated that about 1.25 million Americans live with it. People with type 1 diabetes don't make enough insulin. An important hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin allows your cells to store sugar or glucose and fat and produce energy. Unfortunately, there is no known cure. But treatment can prevent complications and also improve everyday life for patients with type 1 diabetes. Lots of people with type 1 diabetes live a full life. And the more we learn and develop treatment for the disorder, the better the outcome.
We don't know what exactly causes type 1 diabetes. We believe that it is an auto-immune disorder where the body mistakenly destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Typically, the pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin circulates, letting sugar enter your cells. This sugar or glucose, is the main source of energy for cells in the brain, muscle cells, and other tissues. However, once most insulin producing cells are destroyed, the pancreas can't produce enough insulin, meaning the glucose can't enter the cells, resulting in an excess of blood sugar floating in the bloodstream. This can cause life-threatening complications. And this condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis. Although we don't know what causes it, we do know certain factors can contribute to the onset of type 1 diabetes. Family history. Anyone with a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a slightly increased risk of developing it. Genetics. The presence of certain genes can also indicate an increased risk. Geography. Type 1 diabetes becomes more common as you travel away from the equator. Age, although it can occur at any age there are two noticeable peaks. The first occurs in children between four and seven years of age and the second is between 10 and 14 years old.
Signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes can appear rather suddenly, especially in children. They may include increased thirst, frequent urination, bed wetting in children who previously didn't wet the bed. Extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, irritability, and other mood changes. If you or your child are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.
The best way to determine if you have type 1 diabetes is a blood test. There are different methods such as an A1C test, a random blood sugar test, or a fasting blood sugar test. They are all effective and your doctor can help determine what's appropriate for you. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor may order additional tests to check for antibodies that are common in type 1 diabetes in the test called C-peptide, which measures the amount of insulin produced when checked simultaneously with a fasting glucose. These tests can help distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes when a diagnosis is uncertain.
If you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you may be wondering what treatment looks like. It could mean taking insulin, counting carbohydrates, fat protein, and monitoring your glucose frequently, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly to maintain a healthy weight. Generally, those with type 1 diabetes will need lifelong insulin therapy. There are many different types of insulin and more are being developed that are more efficient. And what you may take may change. Again, your doctor will help you navigate what's right for you. A significant advance in treatment from the last several years has been the development and availability of continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps that automatically adjust insulin working with the continuous glucose monitor. This type of treatment is the best treatment at this time for type 1 diabetes. This is an exciting time for patients and for physicians that are keen to develop, prescribe such therapies. Surgery is another option. A successful pancreas transplant can erase the need for additional insulin. However, transplants aren't always available, not successful and the procedure can pose serious risks. Sometimes it may outweigh the dangers of diabetes itself. So transplants are often reserved for those with very difficult to manage conditions. A successful transplant can bring life transforming results. However, surgery is always a serious endeavor and requires ample research and concentration from you, your family, and your medical team.
The fact that we don't know what causes type 1 diabetes can be alarming. The fact that we don't have a cure for it even more so. But with the right doctor, medical team and treatment, type 1 diabetes can be managed. So those who live with it can get on living. If you would like to learn even more about type 1 diabetes, watch our other related videos or visit mayoclinic.org. We wish you well.
Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition. In this condition, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.
Different factors, such as genetics and some viruses, may cause type 1 diabetes. Although type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults.
Even after a lot of research, type 1 diabetes has no cure. Treatment is directed toward managing the amount of sugar in the blood using insulin, diet and lifestyle to prevent complications.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms can appear suddenly and may include:
Talk to your health care provider if you notice any of the above symptoms in you or your child.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Usually, the body's own immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — destroys the insulin-producing (islet) cells in the pancreas. Other possible causes include:
Once a large number of islet cells are destroyed, the body will produce little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland behind and below the stomach (pancreas).
Glucose — a sugar — is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues.
In type 1 diabetes, there's no insulin to let glucose into the cells. Because of this, sugar builds up in the bloodstream. This can cause life-threatening complications.
Some factors that can raise your risk for type 1 diabetes include:
Over time, type 1 diabetes complications can affect major organs in the body. These organs include the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Having a normal blood sugar level can lower the risk of many complications.
Diabetes complications can lead to disabilities or even threaten your life.
Nerve damage (neuropathy). Too much sugar in the blood can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that feed the nerves. This is especially true in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain. This usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and spreads upward. Poorly controlled blood sugar could cause you to lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs over time.
Damage to the nerves that affect the digestive system can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, erectile dysfunction may be an issue.
There's no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes. But researchers are working on preventing the disease or further damage of the islet cells in people who are newly diagnosed.
Ask your provider if you might be eligible for one of these clinical trials. It is important to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of any treatment available in a trial.
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357 Diabetes Essay Topics & Examples. Updated: Feb 25th, 2024. 25 min. When you write about the science behind nutrition, heart diseases, and alternative medicine, checking titles for diabetes research papers can be quite beneficial. Below, our experts have gathered original ideas and examples for the task. We will write.
The central problem that this essay raises describes the characteristics of the U.S. health care system in supporting patients with diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Etiology. Decreased insulin sensitivity in the muscle, tissue, and liver leads to increased insulin production by beta cells of the pancreas.
Diabetes Mellitus can be described in two types: 1) Type 1. 2) Type 2. Description of two types of Diabetes Mellitus are as follows. 1) Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is classified by a deficiency of insulin in the blood. The deficiency is caused by the loss of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes is found more commonly ...
60 essay samples found. Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood due to insulin production issues or the body's response to insulin. Essays on diabetes could delve into the types of diabetes, its prevalence, management strategies, and the impact on individuals and communities.
6 pages / 2744 words. Introduction Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the body's mechanism of converting food into energy. A substantial amount of food that we consume is metabolized into glucose and transported into the bloodstream. When the sugar content in the blood spikes up, the pancreas receives...
Diabetes Documentation for Non-Medical Individuals. This essay looks at how diabetes has been documented for non-medical individuals over the decades. Examples will be drawn from the poem Diabetes by James Dickey. Effectiveness of Pragmatic Lifestyle Interventions for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Metabolic abnormalities in carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins result from the importance of insulin as an anabolic hormone. Low levels of insulin to achieve adequate response and/or ...
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Patient Journey: Case Analysis. Mr Joe Bloggs (The patient will be referred to as 'Joe Bloggs' throughout this essay, this is a pseudonym. The clinical area will also not be identified in order to respect confidentiality) is a 56-year-old man with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus. He presented...
For the other half, the condition disappears within a few months from onset, but it can come back later in life. This is called transient neonatal diabetes mellitus. Brittle diabetes: Brittle diabetes is a form of Type 1 diabetes that's marked by frequent and severe episodes of high and low blood sugar levels. This instability often leads to ...
Summary and Conclusion. Diabetes is a multifactorial disease process, and its long-term management requires the active involvement of people with diabetes and their families, as well as a large multidisciplinary care team to ensure optimal health, quality of life, and productivity. Keeping up with new medications, emerging technology, and ...
Diabetes Mellitus Essay. Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition which afflicts millions of people around the world. It is related to the insulin hormone, which is secreted by cells in the pancreas, regulates the level of glucose in the bloodstream and supports the body with breaking down the glucose to be used as energy.
Essay on Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes is a metabolic disease that has affected a population of up to 18.2 million people in the US. Diabetes manifestation in the human body happens when the blood sugar levels are beyond optimal for a long period in order To control the disease manifestation in the human body, blood sugar levels can be controlled ...
3. Focus questions 3.1 What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is a major disorder of an imbalance between insulin supply and insulin demand. Without insulin, glucose is locked out of the cell and the glucose accumulates and rises blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and affects 85 to 90 percent of people ...
Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death listed in the United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. "In 1996 diabetes contributed to more than 162,000 deaths"(Lewis 1367). "Diabetes mellitus is not a single disease but a group of disorders with glucose intolerance in common" (McCance 674).
Public Health Issue: Diabetes Mellitus. This assignment will address the public health issue of the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (diabetes) and explore links with health inequalities both nationally and locally. It will discuss the frameworks available which give guidance for standards of care for diabetes patients and their ...
Type 2 diabetes was also previously referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or adult-onset diabetes mellitus (AODM). In type 2 diabetes, patients can still produce insulin but do so relatively inadequately for their body's needs, particularly in the face of insulin resistance as discussed above. In many cases, this actually means the pancreas produces larger than normal ...
Please answer all the diabetes mellitus practice questions (100 items) from our nursing test bank and test your competence in the nursing management of diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus Nursing Test Bank. In this section is the practice NCLEX quiz for diabetes mellitus. This 100-item quiz will test your knowledge and ability to differentiate the ...
In conclusion, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent complication during pregnancy, affecting approximately 14% of pregnancies globally. The risk factors for GDM include a Westernized diet, advanced maternal age, overweight/obesity, and family history of insulin resistance or diabetes. While GDM often resolves after delivery, it ...
A blood sugar level below 90 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), which is 5.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L), is too low. The snack you have before exercise should contain about 15 to 30 grams of carbs. Or you could take 10 to 20 grams of glucose products. This helps prevent a low blood sugar level.
Treatments for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, frequent blood sugar checks, and carbohydrate counting. For some people with type 1 diabetes, pancreas transplant or islet cell transplant may be an option. Treatment of type 2 diabetes mostly involves lifestyle ...
Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes: Taking insulin. Counting carbohydrates, fats and protein. Monitoring blood sugar often. Eating healthy foods. Exercising regularly and keeping a healthy weight. The goal is to keep the blood sugar level as close to normal as possible to delay or prevent complications.
Diabetes is spreading at an alarming rate, with one in three Americans born after 2000 developing diabetes in their lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has termed the rapid rise of cases as epidemic. As of 2016, more than 29 million Americans are living with diabetes. And, according to the CDC, 86 million are living ...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an increasingly common chronic disease that results in high levels of circulating glucose—the cellular energy fuel—due to a deficient insulin response in the body.
Taking insulin or other diabetes medicines is often part of treating diabetes. In addition to making healthy food and beverage choices, getting physical activity, getting enough sleep, and managing stress, medicines can help you manage the disease. Some other treatment options are also available.
Poorly controlled blood sugar could cause you to lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs over time. Damage to the nerves that affect the digestive system can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, erectile dysfunction may be an issue. Kidney damage (nephropathy).