Simply put, diabetes is when the body cannot convert foods properly into energy. When the body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin doesn’t work correctly, the glucose can’t get into your cells. Instead the glucose stays in your blood. When this level in your blood gets too high you have diabetes, and you may want to wear a diabetic wristband. Diabetes may be passed on genetically but is not limited only to genetics. Until a cure is found, diabetics who must keep their insulin in control must do so with injections. Repeated injections is a major problem for diabetics many of whom develop a needle phobia due to this need to continually inject themselves with insulin.
Insulin patches and insulin pumps are being researched but it appears that inhaling insulin has the most promise. The concept of inhaling insulin began in 1925 but only recently has this started to become a viable option.
Pfizer is researching a product they have named Exubera. It is a short acting insulin preparation for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In clinical trials worldwide over 2,000 patients have used Exubera for as long as five years. Phase III of these trials suggests that Exubera may be as effective as injected insulin. Research is still underway and this product has not been approved for general use.
Diabetes is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions, affecting 150 million people worldwide and projected to double in prevalence by 2025. The hope is that a better delivery method than daily injections will be developed to deliver insulin to the body of diabetics.
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