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| Categories: Additional article for Therapies |
| Additional article for Therapies | |
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Alternative variants of insulin
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The patients’ request to receive their insulin not by a syringe but by means of nose
spray, capsules, plasters or inhalation is strong in many respects and becoming more
urgent. One thing is the mental barrier in view of the syringe. Especially of type 2.
diabetics, the other are the possible aftereffects of the successful but hurtful
therapies like the ICT, for example swellings on the prick spot.
Nose- or throat spray?
Unfortunately, this idea was abandoned: the few studies showed disastrous results:
the surface of absorption was too small, the effect often too poor and at the same
time the mucous membranes were severely irritated as well.
Tablets or capsules?
Here, the prospects were better: the oral insulin’s effect is very fast – partly even
faster than subcutaneous analogue insulin. The breakdown in the stomach could be
avoided by the right formulas. However, the problems are: very high doses are
needed for research: an effect could only be measured above 100 units of insulin and
this effect fluctuated depending on whether the patient’s stomach was empty rather
full. Consequently, it can be concluded that this method needs time to be improved
until it can be applied in medicine.
Electrical current?
As bizarre as it may sound: in the USA, an Indian-Israeli research group presents a
method how to transport insulin through the skin per galvanic current
(“Iontophoresis”). The success rate of transport was about 10 %. Unfortunately, we
could not learn more before this month’s dead line.
Inhaled insulin?
This method is the most promising at the moment. It is effective in the lower
respiratory tract on a surface the size of a tennis court. Insulin powder as well as
Aerosol proved to be effective in clinical studies several times. The only drop of
bitterness are the formation of antibodies, i.e. comparable to an allergic reaction
against the inhaled insulin occurring to 10% of all patients, and an impairment of the
function of the lungs. The latter, however, is reversible after the patient stopped
taking the insulin. Concerning smokers and asthmatics it has been found out that
smoking reinforces the resorption of insulin, i.e. that smoking can cause
hypoglycemia in this case while asthma can lead to a reduced absorption of insulin.
We will have to wait and see whether the health insurance companies will take the
last hurdle by bearing the assumingly intensive costs.
Source of content: “Physicians’ magazine”, nr.134 (24) 21/07/2005, p.2
Translated by Katrin Osterbart
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