New Hope for Those With Insulin Allergies

Jan. 16 (iVillage Total Health) -- Medical advances have made insulin allergies rare, and recent innovations may help diabetic patients who still react to this medication, researchers report.

Belgian researchers at the University of Liege reviewed the medical literature on insulin allergies. They report that more than half of insulin-dependent patients 50 years ago suffered some type of allergic reaction to the hormonal drug.

Improvements that have made insulin allergies a thing of the past for most patients include better purification of insulin harvested from animals and the creation of synthetic human insulin. The synthetic version, developed through genetic engineering, produces fewer allergic reactions and has largely replaced animal-derived insulin.

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