- New research shows that insulin can be stored unrefrigerated for months without losing its potency.
- Guidelines already show that insulin can be stored at room temperature, but the new data goes in-depth on specific temperature ranges.
- For best results, insulin should be kept out of direct light and not allowed to get too cold (below freezing) or too hot (above 25°C, or 77°F).
New research shows that insulin can retain its potency for months when stored at room temperature – findings that could be a game-changer for people with type 1 diabetes who are unable to refrigerate their insulin reliably.
A review recently published by the Cochrane Collaboration analyzed the effects of different temperatures on insulin, finding that unopened containers of certain types of human insulin could be stored at temperatures of up to 25°C, or 77°F, for up to six months, without losing a significant amount of potency.
Research leader Dr. Bernd Richter from the Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf, Germany, told Medical News Today that the findings help clarify some of the guidance surrounding the storage of insulin and could be a boon to people without access to refrigeration.
Richter points out that
“It seems official regulations focus western-style living conditions, where room temperature would not pose a problem,” Dr. Richter explained.
“Moreover, sound guidance on extreme conditions that many people with diabetes may face are completely lacking. What surprised us was that we could find only one small, older clinical study investigating higher temperatures, which seems odd given that millions of people with…
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