Hospital Unveils Insulin Inhaler

By Emma Brady

Instead of a daily regime of injections, selected patients with Type 2 diabetes are inhaling insulin, from a device similar to those used by asthma sufferers, as part of a clinical trial at Selly Oak Hospital.

If successful the drug could be available on the market by 2010.

Professor Stephen Gough, who is leading the trial, said this will enable the trust to pioneer and develop new procedures and treatments.

“But there’s at least another million or so diabetics out there unaware they have this condition.

Diabetics are also at risk of developing heart disease or suffering strokes, if their condition is not monitored and treated effectively.

“Patients with Type 2 diabetes who needed extra insulin and were seen at my clinics at Selly Oak and in Hall Green were given the option of volunteering for the study, and the take up has been pretty good.”

“It wasn’t really a surprise as my father had had diabetes for 25 years, so all I could do was take the treatment and just get on with it,” said Ms Griffith-Edwards.

are squeamish and this doesn’t attract their attention like a syringe did.”

The paper, published yesterday, stated that Britain has the highest number of diabetic children in Europe, but only one in four achieve good diabetes control

emmabrady@mrn.co.uk

Diabetics take insulin, a hormone normally produced by the pancreas, to help the body use glucose as ‘fuel’

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or the patient becomes insulin resistant

To correct the glucose balance, diabetics usually take insulin in tablet form before moving on to a daily regime of injections

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