Converting Analogue to Human Insulin: A Step-by-Step Guide

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Jay H. Shubrook, DO: Hi. I'm Jay Shubrook, a family physician and professor at Touro University California. We'll continue our discussion about the use of human insulins in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. I have with me today Anne Peters, MD, who's an endocrinologist and a professor at the Keck School of Medicine, and the director of the USC Westside Center for Diabetes.

There is emerging evidence that the use of human insulins, particularly NPH and regular, in terms of efficacy, is as good as using the analogue insulins. We talked earlier about the factors that are important in this and that you certainly can use these insulins.

They may not be as patient-friendly, but cost is such a big issue that we really have to find a way to be able to use these insulins safely. In fact, I have a patient for you that I'd like to talk about.

Jonathan was a patient of mine with type 2 diabetes first diagnosed 10 years ago. He took orals at first and then was transitioned to orals plus insulin. He's currently taking 50 units of glargine one time a day, in the evening, and he's also taking 10 units of insulin aspart before each meal—and that's above and beyond his metformin.