An Introduction to Insulin Types
Although people sometimes think of
insulin as being a single medication, there are actually many different types of insulin. Different types of insulin are used in different ways and for different situations. Many people need to take more than one type of insulin.
Currently, there are four basic types of insulin:
- Short-acting: regular insulin (Humulin® R, Novolin R®)
- Intermediate-acting: NPH insulin (Humulin® N, Novolin® N)
- Long-acting:
In addition, there are two different types of combination insulins, including:
- Intermediate-acting plus rapid-acting:
- Intermediate-acting plus short-acting: NPH insulin/regular insulin (Humulin® 70/30, Novolin® 70/30).