Translations:Insulin (medication)/26/en

Challenges in treatment

There are several challenges involved in the use of insulin as a clinical treatment for diabetes:

• Mode of administration.
• Selecting the 'right' dose and timing. The amount of carbohydrates one unit of insulin handles varies widely between persons and over the day but values between 7 and 20 grams per 1 IE is typical.
• Selecting an appropriate insulin preparation (typically on 'speed of onset and duration of action' grounds).
• Adjusting dosage and timing to fit food intake timing, amounts, and types.
• Adjusting dosage and timing to fit exercise undertaken.
• Adjusting dosage, type, and timing to fit other conditions, for instance the increased stress of illness.
• Variability in absorption into the bloodstream via subcutaneous delivery
• The dosage is non-physiological in that a subcutaneous bolus dose of insulin alone is administered instead of combination of insulin and C-peptide being released gradually and directly into the portal vein.
• It is simply a nuisance for people to inject whenever they eat carbohydrate or have a high blood glucose reading.
• It is dangerous in case of mistake (such as 'too much' insulin).