Zbynek Schroner
Onset and duration of action of basal insulin analogues reproduce more accurately the physiological, pulsatile basal insulin secretion. Basal analogue-insulin glargin has been used in Slovakia for some years and now new basal insulin analogue – insulin detemir is coming into routine clinical practice. Duration of action of insulin detemir is up to 24 hours and is administered once or twice daily in dependence of dose. Recently done trials have shown that its administration is associated with lower risk of hypoglycaemia, mainly nocturnal, in comparison with insulin NPH. Treatment with insulin detemir was associated with reduction of body weight in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus as well with significantly lower increase of body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison with patients treated with insulin NPH.