Difference Between NPH and Regular Insulin

NPH vs Regular Insulin

Diabetes mellitus is a long-term condition linked with irregularly high levels of glucose or sugar within the blood. It is a cluster of metabolic disorders exemplified by abnormal blood sugar levels due to deficient secretion of insulin and action or both. This disease is typically called diabetes and was first discovered as a disorder linked with sugary urine and an extreme loss of muscle tone way back in the past decades. Increased blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, can result in the seeping out of glucose within the urine, thus the expression “sweet urine.”

Regularly, blood sugar levels are strictly managed by insulin. Insulin is the hormone secreted by the pancreas which is responsible for lowering the levels of blood glucose. The increase of blood sugar levels are commonly noted as the patient eats. Insulin is then liberated from the pancreas to put the blood sugar levels on a normal level. The patients with diabetes mellitus, with insufficient or absent manufacture of insulin, may have hyperglycemia.

The two types of diabetes mellitus are the insulin-dependent type and the non-insulin-dependent type. The characteristic of these two types is described by the terms used to identify them. The non-insulin-dependent types are the patients with minimal insulin production that are augmented by taking oral hyperglycemic agents. On the other hand, the insulin-dependent types are the patients that have the inability to produce insulin with more than 100 mg/dl blood sugar level. The development of such circumstances entails an enduring medical intervention such as insulin administration.

Insulin concentrations have different characteristics which gives the patient choices on what to use. Two of these concentrations are the regular and NPH insulin. NPH insulin, or Insulin Isophane Suspension, is a transitional form of insulin which has the ability to extend its capacity for a longer time in contrast with regular ones. The regular insulin, or Insulin Injection Regular, is described to be a drug with short-acting effects.

Spacing out on the effectivity of the drugs’ duration, NPH is different from the regular type of insulin in terms of façade and the process of administration. Regular insulin has an appearance of a clear consistency, and the solitary form can be given through intramuscular injections because of its required immediate effects. This type of insulin may also be given via intravenous infusion. On the contrary, NPH is described to have a cloudy appearance and is only administered via subcutaneous injection.

Aside from that, regular insulin and NPH insulin are different in terms of the point in time to have an effect on the patient. Regular insulin has an effect on a patient in a period of 30 min.-1 hr. while NPH insulin needs one to two hours remaining time to take effect. The onset, peak, and duration of its effectivity also differs with each other. The prescription of these two types has the same goal of reducing the blood sugar levels to a normal range. Moreover, the vital part is that the patient has an adequate amount of knowledge on the prescribed medication given by the physician.

Summary:

1.Diabetes mellitus is a long-term condition linked with irregularly high levels of glucose or sugar within the blood.

2.The two types of diabetes mellitus are the insulin-dependent type and the non-insulin-dependent type. The characteristic of these two types is described by the terms used to identify them.

3.Insulin concentrations have different characteristics which give the patient choices on what to use. Two of these concentrations are the regular and NPH insulin.

4.NPH insulin, or Insulin Isophane Suspension, is a transitional form of insulin which has the ability to extend its capacity for a longer time in contrast with regular ones. The regular insulin, or Insulin Injection Regular, is described to be a drug with short-acting effects.

5.Regular insulin has an appearance of a clear consistency, and the solitary form can be given through intramuscular injections because of its required immediate effects. On the contrary, NPH is described to have a cloudy appearance and is only administered via subcutaneous injection.

6.Regular insulin has an effect on a patient in a period of 30 min.-1 hr. while NPH insulin needs one to two hours remaining time to take effect.

7.The onset, peak, and duration of its effectivity also differ with each other.

8.The prescription of these two types has the same goal of reducing the blood sugar levels to a normal range.

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