Inhaled insulin provides improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled

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Stuart R Weiss1, Shu-Lin Cheng, Ione A Kourides

  • 1San Diego Endocrine and Medical Clinic, San Diego, CA 92009, USA.

Archives of Internal Medicine
|October 29, 2003
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Adding inhaled insulin (INH) to oral antihyperglycemic agents (OHAs) significantly improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. This injectable-free approach offers a new option for those not achieving targets with OHAs alone.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Good glycemic control is crucial for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
  • Many patients struggle to achieve target glycemic control with oral antihyperglycemic agents (OHAs) alone.
  • Suboptimal glycemic control necessitates exploring alternative or add-on therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of adding preprandial inhaled insulin (INH) to existing OHA therapy.
  • To determine if INH can improve glycemic control in T2DM patients with suboptimal control.
  • To assess INH as an injectable-free treatment option.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-week, randomized, proof-of-concept study.
  • Sixty-eight T2DM patients with HbA1c 8.1%-11.9% were randomized.
  • Groups received either INH + OHA or OHA alone.

Main Results:

  • The INH + OHA group showed a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c (-2.3%) vs. OHA alone (-0.1%).
  • 34% of patients on INH + OHA achieved HbA1c <7%, compared to none in the OHA-only group.
  • Significant improvements in fasting and postprandial glucose were observed with INH + OHA.

Conclusions:

  • Preprandial INH addition to OHAs effectively improves glycemic control in T2DM.
  • This strategy offers an injectable-free alternative for patients with inadequately controlled T2DM.
  • INH demonstrates potential for enhancing diabetes management without injections.

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