Insulin detemir uses include treating type 1 diabetes in adults and children. This prescription medication is also approved to treat type 2 diabetes in adults. It provides a steady level of insulin throughout the day, which helps maintain a balanced blood sugar level. As a result, insulin detemir can help prevent serious problems that can occur with high blood sugar, such as diabetic impotence, kidney failure, and heart disease.
What Is Insulin Detemir Used For? -- An Overview
Why Is Insulin Detemir Used for Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes usually begins in young children and teenagers, although this is not always the case. People with this type of
diabetes have a
pancreas that produces little or no insulin. As a result, such people need to have insulin on a regular basis to help keep their blood sugar at the right level.
In healthy people without diabetes, insulin levels do not stay the same throughout the day; instead, they fluctuate in response to changes in blood sugar levels. In order to mimic the natural insulin changes that help keep blood sugar safely controlled, many healthcare providers recommend "basal-bolus" insulin regimens. These regimens often involve a long-acting insulin (such as insulin detemir) to provide a basal insulin level (a relatively steady background level of insulin throughout the day). A short- or rapid-acting insulin is added to provide the bolus (a quick, fast-acting, short-lived dose of insulin) to handle the sudden rise in blood sugar levels that follows each meal.
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