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Insulin is a treatment of last resort

Although some people exhaust all possible diabetes treatments before resorting to insulin, this may not be the best strategy.

“By the time a person with type 2 starts insulin therapy, they likely already have diabetes-related complication because of poor blood sugar control,” Dr. Crandall says.

Because high blood sugar is so toxic and can up the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other problems, you shouldn’t waste too much time undergoing treatments that aren’t getting your blood sugar under control.

In fact, starting insulin sooner may avoid complications, cause oral medications to work better (and be effective longer), or allow you to use a less-complicated insulin regimen for a longer period of time.