People with Type 1 diabetes depend on insulin, taken by injection or via an insulin pump, to control their blood glucose. Some people with Type 2 diabetes need to take insulin as well. The articles in this section can teach you all about insulin's role in the body, the different types of insulin on the market, and how to work with your doctor to find the insulin program that meets your needs.

Choosing and Using an Insulin Pump Infusion Set by Donna Rice, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., C.D.E., and Kay Sweeney, Ph.D., R.D., C.D.E.

When a person uses an insulin pump to control his diabetes, one of the decisions he has to make is what model of infusion set to use. Pumps are often an excellent choice for people who...

Exenatide and Pramlintide by Stacy Griffin, Pharm.D., and John Borders, M.D.

“A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement.” —Bo Bennett In 2005, two new diabetes medicines—exenatide (brand name Byetta) and pramlintide (Symlin)—became available. Both medicines work differently from any...

Exercising With an Insulin Pump by Sheri Colberg, Ph.D.

Whether you consider yourself an athlete or an occasional recreational sports participant, you benefit from any activity that you do, because all exercise can improve your body's ability to use insulin. If you do not inject or infuse insulin to treat...

Getting Down to Basals by Gary Scheiner, M.S., C.D.E.

To borrow a phrase from the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, “Basal insulin gets no respect.” Very few people know how to spell it correctly (basil? bazal? I mean, really!), and even fewer know what the heck it’s for. That’s a shame, because basal...

Go Ahead, Pick Your Pump by Gary Scheiner, M.S., C.D.E.

My plan is to go through life with two things at my side: My wife (‘til death do us part…) and my insulin pump, at least until there’s a cure for diabetes. Choosing my wife was easy—she was the only woman who was willing to put up with me. Choosing...

Also inside: Online Pump Reviews, Pump Manufacturers

Insulin Delivery Devices by Stacy Griffin, Pharm.D., and Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E.

Insulin is a necessary part of the treatment plan for all people with Type 1 diabetes and many with Type 2. Insulin helps get glucose from the bloodstream into the muscle and fat cells to be used for fuel. It cannot be taken as a pill or a swallowed...

Insulin Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes by Virginia Peragallo-Dittko, R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., M.A., C.D.E.

Al just couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Insulin for me? But I exercise almost every day. I eat so much less than I used to, and I never skip my pills. What more can I do? Why has my diabetes gotten worse?” Every number in Al’s blood glucose...

Pump Training by Jan Chait

Ask any insulin pump trainer if he has ever seen a pump user with inadequate training and the first response is usually a sigh. "I always think of this sign I saw once that said, 'We fix $8 haircuts,'" says Ginger Such, R.D., C.D.E., program director...

Also inside: Reading Up on Pumps

Rapid-Acting Insulin by Hope Warshaw, M.M.Sc., R.D., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E.

Even when you think you’re doing everything right with your diabetes care regimen, it can sometimes seem like your blood glucose levels are hard to control. One potential source of difficulty that you may not have thought of is how you time your...

Also inside: Insulin Resources

Selecting an Insulin Program for Type 1 Diabetes by Gary Scheiner, M.S., C.D.E.

For people with Type 1 diabetes, is there really anything more personal and significant in your life than your insulin program? In a way, your insulin program defines your lifestyle. It can either dictate your meal, sleep, and activity schedules, or it...

To Pump, or Not to Pump? by Deborah Butler, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W.

Your 10-year-old daughter just returned from diabetes camp. She said that everyone was using an insulin pump, and she wants one too. You are worried about having a tiny computer deliver insulin into her body. Should you ask your daughter’s health-care...

Also inside: Before You Get a Pump…

Understanding Insulin by Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E., and Patti Geil, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

In any discussion of diabetes, the word insulin is almost certain to come up. That’s because a lack of insulin or trouble responding to insulin (a condition called insulin resistance) or both is what is responsible for the high blood glucose levels...

Also inside: Treating Hypoglycemia

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