A recent study published in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology reveals that, despite our best efforts to keep insulin potent, "insulin storage recommendations are often not met, even when it is stored in household refrigerators".
The study, headed by Dr. Lutz Heinemann, one of the leading global experts on insulin pharmacology and diabetes technology, clearly shows that while the package leaflets provide guidelines regarding proper insulin storage, it has little to no information as to the possible impact of improper storage conditions.
In the journal, the team of researchers pointed out that “little is known about insulin storage after dispensing and insulin potency at the moment of administration.”
The real problem patients face is that there really is no way of knowing if your insulin is in good shape. No indication, no signals, or marks.
We can only tell after the fact, when our blood sugar test will show that our recent shot has not been as effective as it should.
You see, insulin can’t be visualized and only after injecting it and measuring blood sugars, one can notice the fact that the insulin might not be working properly. It’s also true that it doesn’t go from 100 to 0. More often than not, it may be just 70 or 80 or even 40 percent active.
Still, can you imagine the thought of injecting 20 to 60 percent “garbage”?
Indeed, as the journal says, “package leaflet recommendations only give limited information on the impact of improper storage conditions on insulin stability and guidelines by health organizations are inconsistent.”
There really isn’t enough awareness of how insulin can lose potency if stored incorrectly.