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There are several types of insulin. They are classified by how long they act and are generally referred to as rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate and long-acting. Each type of insulin has a certain time period in which it works. In order to understand insulin action more completely, it is helpful to know the onset, peak, and duration of the insulin you take.
- Onset refers to when the insulin starts to work.
- Peak refers to when the insulin is working its hardest.
- Duration refers to how long the insulin works.
The chart below describes the insulin action of the the types of insulin most commonly used in treating diabetes.
Types of insulin
|
|
Onset |
Peak |
Effective Duration |
|
Rapid-acting
aspart (Novolog)
lispro (Humalog)
glulisine (Apidra) |
10 to 30 minutes |
½ to 3 hours |
3 to 5 hours |
|
Short-acting
Regular
|
30 – 60 minutes |
1 to 5 hours |
8 hours |
|
Intermediate-acting
NPH |
1 to 4 hours
|
4 to 12 hours
|
14 to 26 hours |
|
Long-acting, peakless
glargine (Lantus)
|
1 to 2 hours
|
Flat, basal-like
|
24 hours
|
For more information, you may want to purchase our book What You Need to Know About Diabetes - A Short Guide, which can be ordered online. |
