Which insulin type is rapid-acting and typically used for glucose control around meals?

Which insulin type is rapid-acting and typically used for glucose control around meals?

• A. Regular insulin
• B. NPH
• C. Lispro
• D. Glargine

Answer: (C)

Controlling the post-meal glucose spike relies on insulin that acts quickly and briefly, so it can cover the immediate rise in blood sugar after eating. Lispro is a rapid-acting analog, starting in about 10–15 minutes, peaking around 1 hour, and lasting roughly 3–5 hours. This timing makes it ideal to give right before meals to blunt the postprandial glucose surge. Regular insulin, while usable around meals, has a slower onset (about 30–60 minutes) and a longer duration, so it doesn’t match the post-meal rise as closely. NPH is intermediate-acting, with later onset and a longer, less predictable peak, not suited for immediate meal coverage. Glargine is long-acting and provides steady background insulin without a pronounced meal-related peak. So lispro best fits the goal of tight glucose control around meals due to its rapid onset and short duration.

Controlling the post-meal glucose spike relies on insulin that acts quickly and briefly, so it can cover the immediate rise in blood sugar after eating. Lispro is a rapid-acting analog, starting in about 10–15 minutes, peaking around 1 hour, and lasting roughly 3–5 hours. This timing makes it ideal to give right before meals to blunt the postprandial glucose surge.

Regular insulin, while usable around meals, has a slower onset (about 30–60 minutes) and a longer duration, so it doesn’t match the post-meal rise as closely. NPH is intermediate-acting, with later onset and a longer, less predictable peak, not suited for immediate meal coverage. Glargine is long-acting and provides steady background insulin without a pronounced meal-related peak.

So lispro best fits the goal of tight glucose control around meals due to its rapid onset and short duration.