Ultra-rapid insulins have a different action profile than rapid insulins. They appear in the bloodstream and reach peak effectiveness more quickly.
“Ultra-rapid insulin is the same as rapid insulin, but it has additives that enable it to appear in the bloodstream faster,” says Janine Suarez, MD, an endocrinologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
Dr. Suarez says that Lyumjev works about 10 minutes faster than its counterpart, and Fiasp has a 5-minute faster time to onset and is 10 minutes faster to peak effect than Novolog. Afrezza, the inhaled insulin, is said to work within 12 minutes.
“This is the fastest insulin to make an impact on the glucose,” says Susan Hudec, MD, an endocrinologist at Edward-Elmhurst Health in Elmhurst, Illinois.
The quick action of ultra-rapid insulin is beneficial for blood sugar management, but it also provides more flexibility in administration.
“It’s important for some people to have this quick response because it allows them to inject the medication just before, during, or after meals, instead of 15 minutes before,” the typical recommendation for conventional rapid insulin, says Suarez.
While ultra-rapid insulins are in the bloodstream more quickly than rapid insulins, the benefits may be limited to the short-term.
“When looking at the data and clinical outcomes, these rapid onset characteristics have not been found to have clinically significant improvements in long-term glucose control and safety outcomes,” Suarez says.
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