Insulin
Persons with diabetes, especially type 1, may require insulin for survival. However, even those with type 2 and gestational diabetes may also require this therapy. There are many different insulin types available, including but not necessarily limited to short-acting, long-acting, rapid-acting, and other intermediate options. Depending on the situation, healthcare providers may prescribe combinations of different insulin products to use daily.
Insulin is typically injected through a syringe, fine needle, or pen and not taken orally because the stomach’s enzymes may interfere with its actions. Another option is the insulin pump, a device the size of a smartphone that can be worn outside the body with a tube connecting the insulin reservoir to a catheter inserted into the abdomen. The FDA has also approved four artificial types of the artificial pancreas.
Also referred to as a closed-loop delivery system for insulin, artificial pancreas are implanted devices linking glucose monitors that check the blood sugar of the body to insulin pumps. It can automatically deliver the correct insulin amount whenever the monitor deems it needed.
