Insulin therapy

Insulin therapy supplies insulin to lower blood glucose when the body produces too little insulin or cannot use it effectively. Treatment is tailored to glucose patterns, meals, activity, and individual needs.

Insulin: A hormone that helps cells take up glucose and regulates blood sugar, produced mainly by pancreatic beta cells. Injected or infused insulin replaces the hormone’s glucose-lowering action.
Type 1 diabetes: An autoimmune disease in which destruction of pancreatic beta cells causes severe insulin deficiency. Insulin replacement is necessary for survival in this condition.
Blood glucose: The concentration of glucose circulating in the blood, regulated by hormones, food intake, and tissue use. It is the main variable insulin therapy aims to control.
Metformin: An oral medicine for type 2 diabetes that primarily reduces liver glucose production and improves insulin sensitivity. Unlike injected insulin, it lowers glucose without directly replacing the hormone.
Diabetes mellitus: A group of metabolic diseases marked by persistent high blood glucose due to impaired insulin production, action, or both. Insulin therapy is one approach to managing this broader group of diseases.
Basal insulin: Long- or intermediate-acting insulin that provides background coverage between meals and overnight. It supplies the steady insulin component of many treatment plans.
Type 2 diabetes: A metabolic disease characterized by insulin resistance and progressive impairment of insulin secretion. Insulin may be added when other treatments do not adequately control glucose.
Insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio: A dosing factor that estimates how many grams of carbohydrate are covered by one unit of insulin. It helps calculate meal doses in many intensive regimens.
Sulfonylurea: A class of oral drugs that stimulates pancreatic beta cells to release more insulin. It increases the body’s own insulin secretion rather than supplying insulin directly.
Diabetic retinopathy: Damage to retinal blood vessels caused by diabetes, which can impair vision. Sustained glucose management with insulin can help reduce risk of progression.

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