Do all people with diabetes need insulin injections?

Diabetes mellitus occurs when blood sugar levels rise from normal limits. This increase in blood sugar is related to disruption of the production and work of the hormone insulin, which is a hormone that helps the absorption of blood sugar (glucose) into energy. That is why, sometimes insulin injections may be needed for people with diabetes to replace the function of natural insulin. So, does everyone who has diabetes need insulin injections? If so, does it have to be injected for life?

Who needs to have insulin injections for diabetes?

Generally, people who should use insulin injections are those who have type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune condition that makes the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin become damaged.

That is why, insulin injections are a must for those who have type 1 diabetes. Insulin therapy is usually done by using a syringe or an insulin pump.

Not only type 1 diabetes mellitus, those who experience complications of diabetes are also advised to administer insulin injections. People with complications need a faster recovery from blood sugar conditions so they need insulin help.

People who have type 2 diabetes do not necessarily have to use insulin injections. This is because their bodies can actually produce insulin. However, it is the body's cells that are less sensitive to the presence of insulin. As a result, the process of converting glucose into energy is disrupted.

Usually, only about 20-30% of people with type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. Generally, patients with type 2 diabetes are advised to control blood sugar levels by implementing a healthy diet and increasing physical activity, such as exercising.

Insulin therapy in people with type 2 diabetes is generally only given if changes in lifestyle and diabetes drugs are no longer able to control blood sugar levels.

In addition, there are several other conditions that may make you need insulin injections to control diabetes, namely:

1. Using drugs that raise blood sugar

If you are taking steroids, your doctor will usually recommend insulin therapy. The reason is, steroid drugs have the side effect of raising blood sugar levels. That is why, blood sugar-lowering drugs are not enough. Usually, after steroid drugs are stopped, insulin injections will also be stopped.

2. Having excessive weight

Diabetics who are also obese may be advised to use insulin. This is because they usually need higher levels of insulin to break down glucose into energy.

Once your body weight returns to ideal, your doctor may re-adjust the dosage or even stop it.

3. Are experiencing an acute infectious disease

Having an infectious disease can make your blood sugar levels rise. If that's the case, doctors generally will provide insulin therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes.

However, not all infectious diseases make people with type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. We recommend that you discuss it with your doctor first.

Do diabetic patients have to take insulin for life?

The dose and frequency of insulin injections varies from person to person. According to the American Diabetes Association, generally people with type 1 diabetes only need 2 or 3-4 insulin injections a day. There are also those who need 4-6 injections in one day, especially when their health condition deteriorates, for example due to illness.

However, what about the length? Do diabetics have to inject insulin for the rest of their life?

Many think, when you have been prescribed injectable insulin, you will have to take the injection forever. In fact, this is not the case.

How long you have to inject insulin depends on the development of each patient's condition. Generally, people with type 2 diabetes do not have to inject insulin for the rest of their life. Some of them can get off the injection when the doctor's condition is deemed capable without insulin. However, many also have to wear it for years due to complications of diabetes that arise.

So, what about type 1 diabetes? Unfortunately, until now insulin therapy is still the main treatment for controlling blood sugar in type 1 diabetes. The inability of the body to produce insulin at all makes them have to use injectable insulin for life.

New hope for type 1 diabetes patients to be free of insulin injections

In 2013, a group of researchers from the University of Geneva led by Roberto Coppari found that insulin is not a vital element for a person with diabetes to survive.

They found that leptin, a hormone that regulates fat stores and appetite, can help diabetes people get rid of insulin injections. With leptin, those who have insulin deficiency can survive with stable sugar levels.

There are two benefits provided by leptin, namely that it does not trigger a drop in blood sugar levels to below normal, causing hypoglycemia and has a lipolytic effect, aka destroys fat.

Unfortunately, for now, the use of leptin as a way to treat diabetes is still limited to laboratory testing. However, this discovery opens up opportunities for people with type 1 diabetes to be free from insulin injections for life.