Insulin and diabetes are two things that are difficult to separate. Although already used in the therapeutic treatment of diabetes for decades, a new study indicates these drugs can cause serious complications.
Complications that can arise from the use of insulin include heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and eye complications. However, complications were mainly found in elderly patients.
Insulin is the primary medication for type one diabetics because their pancreas can not produce this hormone. While in diabetes mellitus insulin is given to increase insulin production or improve insulin sensitivity.
The team of researchers from Cardiff University School of Medicine, UK, conducted the study using data Datalink Research UK Clinical practice, a database of the population of 10 percent of patients with diabetes in the UK.
Side effects of insulin were mainly found in the group taking insulin between 1999 and 2011.
The results are surprising because the number of people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and had to get insulin to increase.
"Therapy is a therapeutic insulin to lower blood sugar that has been used for a long time by a type two diabetic patients," said Craig Currie, lead researcher.
Another study conducted in Canada also indicated that people who get insulin at risk threefold death within the study period.
However, Currie confirmed that patients with diabetes are now getting insulin not to stop their treatment. "You must know the risks of complications of insulin seen in the elderly and obese patients," he said.
Decisions regarding treatment should be taken for each patient depending on the doctor and the medical history they have.
"Most patients do not experience harmful side effects. Insulin therapy has also been proven safe and used throughout the world," he said.