Insulin
People with type 1 diabetes and many people with type 2 or gestational diabetes take insulin injections as part of their diabetes treatment plans.
Two main kinds of insulin used in diabetes treatment are bolus insulin and background insulin. Bolus insulin supplies a burst of insulin and usually is taken before a meal. The two types of bolus insulin are rapid-acting and short-acting. Rapid-acting bolus insulin works quickly and leaves the body quickly. Short-acting bolus insulin stays in the body longer.
Background insulin supplies a low level of insulin throughout the day and overnight. The three kinds of background insulin are: intermediate-acting, prolonged intermediate-acting and long-acting. Of the three different background insulins, long-acting insulin stays in the body the longest. Bolus and background insulin also come mixed together, called premixed insulin.
The following table lists the different kinds of insulin and their action times.
| Type of insulin | Begins to work | Working hardest | Stops working effectively | |
| Mealtime (bolus) insulin | ||||
| Rapid-acting | Lispro (Humalog®) | Five to 15 minutes | One to two hours | Three to four hours |
| Aspart (Novolog®) | Five to 15 minutes | One to two hours | Three to four hours | |
| Glulisine (Aprida®) | Five to 15 minutes | One to two hours | Three to four hours | |
| Short-acting | Regular (Novolin®; Humulin®) | 30 to 45 minutes | Two to three hours | Four to eight hours |
| Background (basal) insulin | ||||
| Intermediate-acting | NPH | Two to four hours | Four to eight hours | 10 to 16 hours |
| Lente | Two to four hours | Four to eight hours | 10 to 16 hours | |
| Prolonged intermediate-acting | Ultralente | Three to five hours | Eight to 12 hours | 18 to 20 hours |
| Long-acting | Glargine (Lantus®) | Two hours | No peak | 24 hours |
| Premixed insulin | ||||
| Background/mealtime | 75/25 with Lispro | Five to 15 minutes | Bolus/background One to two hours/four to eight hours |
10 to 16 hours |
| 70/30 with Aspart | Five to 15 minutes | Bolus/background One to two hours/four to eight hours |
10 to 16 hours | |
| 70/30 or 50/50 with Regular | 30 to 45 minutes | Bolus/background One to two hours/four to eight hours |
10 to 16 hours | |
To make an appointment with International Diabetes Center, call 952-993-3393 or toll-free at 888-825-6315.