This section is split into five topics, which you can work through sequentially.

The aim of this section is to provide an overview of the factors that can influence the physiological action of insulin. As outlined in previous sections, insulin is commonly used clinically for the treatment of people with diabetes. For administered insulin to work effectively, a number of factors have to be considered.

- T1: Physical barriers to insulin effectiveness
- T2: Metabolic factors that can affect the action of insulin
- T3: Psychological and behavioural reasons
- T4: Summary
- T5: Test yourself

By the end of the section, you should be able to:

• Be familiar with the physical barriers that can affect the action of administered insulin
• Be familiar with the metabolic factors that can affect the action of administered insulin
• Be familiar with psychological and behavioural reasons that can affect the action of administered insulin