Insulin Formulation | Coverage | Duration of Action | Dosing | Special Considerations |
---|---|---|---|---|
NPH insulin [69] | Basal | 13 hours | Twice daily | Nocturnal hypoglycemia; morning hyperglycemia; intersubject variability |
Insulin glargine [69,70] | Basal | 24 hours | Once daily | Less risk of hypoglycemia (overall and nocturnal) compared with NPH insulin; once-daily dosing |
Insulin detemir [38,45,71] | Basal | 14 hours | Once or twice daily | Less nocturnal hypoglycemia and less weight gain compared with NPH insulin; most patients require twice-daily dosing |
RHI [40] | Prandial | 6–8 hours | 30 minutes premeal | Limited mealtime flexibility |
Insulin lispro [42,72] | Prandial | 3–4 hours | Up to 15 minutes premeal or immediately postmeal | Pregnancy category B rating |
Insulin aspart [40,44] | Prandial | 3–4 hours | Up to 15 minutes premeal or immediately postmeal | Pregnancy category B rating. |
Insulin glulisine [72,73] | Prandial | 3–4 hours | Up to 15 minutes premeal or up to 20 minutes after start of meal | Only rapid-acting agent evaluated in conjunction with a dosing algorithm |
Premix (human) 70% NPH, 30% RHI 50% NPH, 50% RHI | Basal-prandial | 16–24 hours | Prebreakfast and presupper | Short- and long-acting components in fixed ratio; difficult to titrate, increased risk of hypoglycemia |
Premix (insulin analogs) 75% NPL, 25% lispro 50% NPL, 50% lispro 70% protamine aspart, 30% aspart | Basal-prandial | 16–24 hours | Prebreakfast and presupper | Short- and long-acting components in fixed ratio; difficult to titrate, increased risk of hypoglycemia |