2-7-06

Inhaled insulin

People who have diabetes will soon have another treatment option to help manage their disease.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved an inhaled form of insulin as a new treatment option for many of the 21 million Americans with diabetes. The new inhaled form could help millions of Americans who need treatment, but don't get it, says Dr. Romesh Khardori, professor and chief of endocrinology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.

SOUND BITE: " . . . a lot of folks don’t want to take injections. a) They don’t like needles. b) It's inconvenient. And c) There is some kind of stigma attached to carrying needles and pins around. And they think inhaled is more accepted because a lot of asthmatics use it in public."

Inhaled insulin has been approved for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that the inhaled method is just as effective in lowering glucose as injections, but the drug needs to be higher in concentration. Dr. Khardori says, the inhaled insulin currently will be used for only the short- acting form of insulin.

SOUND BITE: ". . . it does not replace those longer-acting forms of insulin. So if somebody is going to be taking a longer-acting insulin and a short-acting insulin before a meal, they will still have to be taking long-acting insulin in the form of injection with a needle."

Inhaled insulin is expected to be on the market within a few months. Anyone who has diabetes and would like to convert to the new treatment method should check with their family doctor or endocrinologist.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.