Credit: Prof. Th. Premchand Singh, Professor, Department of Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, India.
Abstract:
Inhaled insulin is a novel therapeutic option among the insulin delivery devices in the management of diabetes mellitus. It may ultimately replace the need for multiple daily subcutaneous injections of insulin. Subcutaneous insulin in all forms either pen devices or Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (Insulin pump) is painful, inconvenient and does not achieve the recommended glycaemic goal. Insulin delivery through pulmonary route is rapidly absorbed comparable to subcutaneous injection of two faster acting insulin analogues, insulin lispro and insulin aspart with a much longer duration of action lasting four to six hours. Studies have shown that availability of inhaled insulin as a potential treatment option increases patients’ willingness to add or change to insulin therapy.