Long-acting insulin is safer and more effective for patients with Type 1 diabetes than intermediate-acting insulin, according to a new study published in the BMJ.

Over 15,000 children and 15,000 adults are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the U.S. every year. It can strike people at any age, comes on suddenly, causes dependence on insulin for life, and carries the ongoing threat of health complications.

Lead study author Dr. Andrea Tricco, a scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, and colleagues analyzed the safety, effectiveness and affordability of once- and twice-daily doses of long- and intermediate-acting insulin.

Two long-acting forms of insulin were compared against intermediate-acting insulin using data from 39 different studies. Long-acting insulin takes approximately one hour after following administration to start lowering blood sugar levels, and lasts nearly 26 hours. Long-acting insulin also dramatically improved levels of Hemoglobin A1C, which helps to effectively measure blood sugar control.

The researchers also discovered that those with Type 1 diabetes were 38 percent less likely to suffer from severe hypoglycaemia, which is a medical emergency.

“Those taking intermediate-acting insulin were more likely to gain weight. They gained an average of four to six pounds more than the participants who took most long-acting insulin doses,” said Tricco in a statement.

Armed with this new information, Type 1 diabetes patients and their health care practitioners should be able to tailor their choice of insulin in terms of preference, accessibility and cost.