The Need For Insulin Analogues

Summary

• The prognosis of patients with diabetes is improved by interventions that reduce HbA_1C which is influenced by both fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels.
  
• Postprandial glucose represents a major contribution to overall hyperglycaemia and is important in the improvement of glycaemic control.
  
• Postprandial hyperglycaemia per se is also an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes and complications of diabetes.
  
• Consequently, postprandial hyperglycaemia is an important clinical target in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, as is now recognised in all major treatment guidelines.
  
• Reducing postprandial blood glucose excursions in patients with diabetes requires that their blood insulin concentrations are increased rapidly in the early prandial setting. However, the absorption properties of subcutaneously administered soluble human insulin are not ideal for achieving this goal.
  
• Analogues of human insulin, such as insulin aspart, have been engineered for more rapid absorption through reduced self-association properties, enabling a more satisfactory re-creation of the prandial insulin response.