Inhaled insulin -- a mixed bag?

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 29 (UPI) -- An independent U.S. review of studies on inhaled insulin in type 2 diabetes has revealed both pluses and minuses about the still-controversial treatment.

Researchers at ECRI Institute found that inhaled insulin worked as well as short-acting injected insulin to control blood glucose over three months or just before meals, but inhaled insulin users had more trouble with low blood sugar -- hypoglycemia -- which is a common complication of diabetes medication.

In patients who had not previously taken insulin, inhaled insulin alone was more effective than oral diabetes medication at controlling blood sugar, but if they took inhaled insulin plus oral medications, higher rates of hypoglycemia occurred.

In addition, there was concern about the long-term consequences of an inhaled medication on the lungs, and inhaled insulin's effect on the complications of diabetes, including weight gain, nerve damage, kidney function, and heart disease.

The review covered eight studies involving 1,881 patients with type 2 diabetes that compared the effectiveness of inhaled insulin, injected insulin, and oral medications, singly and in combination. No study had more than six months of follow-up.

ECRI is an independent non-profit research agency that focuses on improving health care.

The ECRI Institute report is published in the July issue of its journal Windows on Medical Technology.