What do you need to know about traditional insulin formulations?

Although insulin analogues show noninferiority to conventional insulins in regard to glycemic control and hemoglobin A_1c reductions³ they are significantly more expensive, and health care providers need to better understand how to transition some patients back to more affordable options. Newer long-acting and ultra-long-acting insulins allow for more flexibility in timing of insulin administration compared with the traditional NPH basal insulin. The newer ultra-long-acting basal options even have a lower risk of hypoglycemia compared with the newer long-acting insulins.³ Changing to more-traditional forms of basal insulins would therefore require close attention and adjustments to provide a reasonable margin of glycemic safety.