Authors' objectives:

The aim of this review is to provide guidance on the use of inhaled insulin for the treatmentof type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Authors' recommendations: Inhaled insulin is not recommended as a routine treatment for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Inhaled insulin should only be used as a possible treatment for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes where both of the following circumstances apply. 1. Although the person has been given support and advice, their blood sugar is not being controlled by other methods. These methods may include changes to diet, medicines (known as ,oral hypoglycaemic agents') to control blood sugar, and insulin injections. 2. The person is not able to start having insulin injections before meals, or to increase their current level of insulin injections, either because they have a very strong and lasting fear of injections that has been confirmed as a phobia by a specialist in diabetes or mental health or because they have severe and persistent problems with injection sites despite regularly changing the injection site and receiving support and advice. A person should only be treated with inhaled insulin for longer than 6 months if tests show a lasting improvement in their blood sugar control that doctors consider will reduce their risk of developing diabetes-related complications in the long term. Treatment with inhaled insulin should begin and be monitored at a specialist diabetes centre. The person's doctor should discuss the risks and benefits of inhaled insulin with them, so that they can make informed choices about how to manage their diabetes. This may include therapy for needle phobia. Doctors should collect data (information) about inhaled insulin treatment given according to this guidance for use in research studies. The information collected should include the results of treatment and any problems with the treatment.

Authors' methods: Systematic review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA113

Year Published: 2006

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England

Organisation Name: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Contact Address: Level 1A, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BT

Contact Name: nice@nice.nhs.uk

Contact Email: nice@nice.nhs.uk

Copyright: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)