Insulin Therapy
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which not only regulates the level of glucose in your blood but has many other powerful effects, and if insulin fails to control your blood glucose you have diabetes.
See Also 
Diabetes Index Diabetes Products Diabetes Books
Diabetes Products : Blood Glucose Meters : Blood Glucose Test Strips : Lancets & Lancing Devices : Insulin Therapy :
Diabetes Information : Understanding Type 2 Diabetes : What Is Diabetes? : Diabetes Symptoms : What Causes Diabetes? : Preventing Diabetes : Health Problems Caused By Diabetes : The Diabetes Diet : Treating Diabetes : Blood Glucose Testing : Type 1 Diabetes : Insulin Therapy :
How Does Insulin Work?
Insulin is a hormone which is released directly into the blood, and is produced by the pancreas, which is situated just below the stomach. Insulin is vital for the control of many body functions, but is best known for controlling blood glucose levels.
Insulin is released when blood glucose levels rise, and insulin causes most of the body's cells to use glucose as their main source of energy. Cells that have storage abilities are also stimulated to remove glucose from the blood and store it. This happens in the liver and muscles where it is stored as glycogen, and in fat cells where it is stored as fat.
When blood glucose levels fall back to normal insulin is no longer released, and the body goes back to using fats as its normal source of energy, obtaining them from storage in fat cells. The exception to this is in the brain which only uses glucose as a source of energy, and therefore is always taking glucose from the blood. When the glucose levels drop below the normal level another hormone, glucagon, is released from the pancreas, which releases glucose from where it is stored as glycogen in the liver.
Other hormones affect insulin release. Adrenaline causes insulin release, which is needed to use the glucose which is also released by adrenaline to give sudden energy for the 'fight or flight' response.
Insulin Therapy
Insulin therapy is used in Type 1 diabetes where the body has destroyed the insulin producing areas of the pancreas, and is used as a final stage treatment of some Type 2 diabetics who may be suffering from Latent Autoimmune Diabetes In Adults (LADA) is a form of Type 1 diabetes that occurs in adults and is caused by an autoimmune reaction where the insulin producing cells in the pancreas are attacked by your own immune system. It is easily confused with Type 2 diabetes but will ultimately require insulin therapy. 10-25% of diabetics diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes may actually be suffering from LADA.
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