What Is Insulin Detemir Used For?

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.

Insulin Detemir Drug Information

What Is Insulin Detemir Used For? -- An Overview

Insulin detemir (Levemir^®) is a long-acting insulin medication used to help control blood sugar in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This diabetes medication is injected once or twice a day.

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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