Which statement about short-acting insulin is true?

Which statement about short-acting insulin is true?

• A. It provides basal control for 24 hours.
• B. It is used around mealtimes for postprandial control.
• C. It has minimal peak.
• D. It raises HDL.

Answer: (B)

Short-acting insulin is used around meals to blunt postprandial glucose rises, acting when carbohydrate from the meal is entering the bloodstream. This timing helps mimic normal physiology, where insulin peaks after eating to manage the glucose surge. Regular insulin begins to work about 30–60 minutes after injection and has a noticeable peak a couple of hours in, lasting several hours, while rapid-acting forms start sooner and cover the meal with a shorter overall duration. Because of this meal-time action, it’s the go-to choice for postprandial control rather than for keeping blood glucose stable over 24 hours. The other statements don’t fit this role: providing basal control for 24 hours is the job of long-acting insulins; short-acting insulin does have a peak in its activity (regular type especially), and while insulin therapy can influence lipid metabolism, it does not purposefully raise HDL.

Short-acting insulin is used around meals to blunt postprandial glucose rises, acting when carbohydrate from the meal is entering the bloodstream. This timing helps mimic normal physiology, where insulin peaks after eating to manage the glucose surge. Regular insulin begins to work about 30–60 minutes after injection and has a noticeable peak a couple of hours in, lasting several hours, while rapid-acting forms start sooner and cover the meal with a shorter overall duration. Because of this meal-time action, it’s the go-to choice for postprandial control rather than for keeping blood glucose stable over 24 hours.

The other statements don’t fit this role: providing basal control for 24 hours is the job of long-acting insulins; short-acting insulin does have a peak in its activity (regular type especially), and while insulin therapy can influence lipid metabolism, it does not purposefully raise HDL.