Aerosolized Oral Insulin Therapy for People with Type 2 Diabetes: 500 Units per Dose

Preliminary investigation of the effectiveness of inhaling aerosolized insulin indicates that it can normalize blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University tested the technique on six volunteers with type 2 diabetes using both insulin and a placebo control after a 12-hour fasting period. The insulin dose consisted of 500 units of regular pork insulin, about 79% of which (395 units) entered the lungs, and peaked within an average of 40 minutes. Glucose levels decreased by an average of 55%, which returned five of the six volunteers to normal levels and the sixth to almost normal. No side effects were reported (The Journal of the American Medical Association, July, 1993).