Chad,
I have heard Al say on numerous occasions that Afrezza may be able to slow or even reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes. I have included a few references supporting this possibility. There are many other articles that I have read, but I don't remember how to find them. I also remember reading that the way to induce diabetes in mice is to inject them with glucose. Just that alone seems to indicate that controlling glucose levels could help slow the progeression of diabetes.
It would be great to see what other think about this, especiall those with a medical background. It has been one of the important reasons that I have invested in Mannkind. Think about how useful it could be for treating very early stage type 2 diabetics or even pre-diabetics if it really can slow the progression of the disease. Remember that there are in excess of 79 million pre-diabetics in the US.
The Afrezza Paradigm Shift
http://klljinvestments.blogspot.com/p/afrezza-paradigm-shift.html
It is too early to make the claim, but one can hypothesize that Afrezza could potentially halt the progression of Type 2 diabetes. Patients Beta-cell function in the Pancreas has often declined by 50% even before they are diagnosed with diabetes. Under the current standard of care, insulin is introduced later in the treatment plan, on average after patients have had a HbA1c level > 7% for 10 years and over HbA1c levels > 8% for 5 years, while the pancreatic function has declined even further during those 15 years. It is theorized that Patient’s β-cell function continues to decline 5% annually.
Meal-time insulin control is the first problem that diabetics experience with keeping glucose levels in check. Today, basal insulin is first introduced because it is typically a single daily injection, but it doesn’t adequately control mealtime glucose needs, which continue to stress the pancreas. Through early use of a prandial insulin (instead of basal,) pancreatic stress can be reduced, with the potential to dramatically extend the organ’s lifespan.
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How can Afrezza help to reverse the progression of Diabetes in Type 2 patients
http://afresa.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-can-afrezza-help-to-reverse.html
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Reversal of type 2 diabetes: normalisation of beta cell function in association with decreased pancreas and liver triacylglycerol
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168743/
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Activation of oxidative stress by acute glucose fluctuations compared with sustained chronic hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16609090
CONCLUSIONS:
Glucose fluctuations during postprandial periods and, more generally, during glucose swings exhibited a more specific triggering effect on oxidative stress than chronic sustained hyperglycemia. The present data suggest that interventional trials in type 2 diabetes should target not only hemoglobin A1c and mean glucose concentrations but also acute glucose swings.
