Insulin Aiding People With Diabetes

Insulin is a hypoglycaemic hormone which decreases the levels of sugar in our blood. It is produced by the pancreas and its absence causes diabetes. Insulin is produced in the pancreas by beta cells of the islets of Langerhans as proinsulin, an inactive form in which it is stored. Depending on what the body needs, proinsulin can be transformed into insulin and released in blood. From there it can stick to the membranes of cells, in the liver, muscles and in the fat tissues.

Insulin is the only hormone the organism produces to decrease blood sugar levels, making the glucose become a raw source of energy used by cells. However, when it is inside the liver, it can help to create glucose stores in the form of glycogen. In fact, this hormone favours protein synthesis and prevents destruction of lipids.

Absolute or relative insufficiency of insulin causes diabetes, which mostly manifests itself in the form of hyperglycaemia.

Traditionally, insulin is obtained from purified pancreas extracts from pigs and cattle. For several years, however, genetically manufactured insulin has become available, having the same composition as human insulin. Depending on the time length of its action, insulin can be regular or short acting (4 hours), intermediate (12 hours) and slow or long acting (over 24 hours).

Insulin is prescribed for people who suffer from diabetes, particularly those who suffer from type 1 diabetes. The patient learns to make injections subcutaneously on his/her own, up to three times daily. In addition, the doctor may use regular insulin subcutaneously or intravenously (if necessary, with an electric pump which ensures a continuous intravenous infusion) in cases of emergency, such as major hyperglycaemia or diabetic acidocetosis. The most common areas of the body where injections are made are the front and the lateral-external part of the thighs, the lower half of the abdomen (under the navel), the front and the sides of the arms. The skin should be sterilised with alcohol and the traces of alcohol should be wiped with cotton boiled in water. The patient must wash with water and soap prior to each injection; in general, it is recommended to change the area of the injection periodically, in a certain order, decided by the patient.

Sometimes, there are some reactions after injections are made, such as local infections (due to the lack of pathogenic microorganisms), an insulin allergy (in these cases, insulin is replaced with a single component form) and lipodystrophy (which is caused by using the same spot for multiple injections).