Onset

The time after injection when an insulin begins working. The insulins with the longest onset times are the long-acting insulins; shortest onset times belong to the rapid and short-acting insulins with the intermediate-acting ones in between.

Analog insulins Humalog, Novolog, NovoRapid and Apidra have the fastest onsets.

A predictable, slow onset is a necessary part of working with overlap.

See also peak, duration, and carryover.