Inhaled Insulin - Why Isn’t It More Popular?

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a disease affecting an increasing number of patients each year. The medications currently available on the market are not perfect, which is why the search for new and more effective therapies continues. One such option is inhaled insulin, which, despite having been available on the market for nearly 20 years, is still not widely used. This raises the question: why is that?

Aim: A review of the available knowledge on inhaled insulins, including their advantages and disadvantages, as well as potential applications of this medication, with an attempt to answer the question of why they have not replaced subcutaneous insulins on the market.

Methods: A narrative review was conducted using the medical databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, identifying studies presenting various aspects of the use of inhaled insulins.

Results: The article presents the history of the introduction of inhaled insulins to the market, the reasons for their limited availability, their safety profile, positive and negative effects of therapy, and the potential use of this medication in the treatment of patients with diabetes.

Conclusion: The analyzed studies demonstrate a relatively high level of safety and efficacy of inhaled insulin therapy. They also highlight concerns and disadvantages associated with this form of treatment and suggest its potential role in the management of patients with diabetes.