TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Diabetics have many options nowadays for their treatment plans.
Afrezza is FDA-approved for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes as a fast-acting, mealtime insulin, but it doesn’t replace insulin altogether.
Melissa Pelayo was just 16 years old when doctors were still trying to figure out what type of diabetes she had. “Initially they thought I was type 2. Then I got diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it was a whole hassle trying to find out what I have. And then eventually I came to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes," Pelayo says.
At first, she explains it was overwhelming trying to adapt to life with this diagnosis. “Getting used to like checking your sugar and having the sensors and people asking, what do you have on your arm? It was just like, it took time to get used to the whole fact," Pelayo explains.
Now, she is 23 years old and is a student at the University of Arizona.
Pelayo was introduced to inhaled insulin by her endocrinologist, Dr. Nora Barsony. “It's a little tiny powder that goes right directly to the bloodstream through the lung, which takes a few seconds to go through and it's in the bloodstream, so it does the work that's supposed to do with your own pancreas.”
Afrezza is considered an ultra-rapid-acting insulin. It’s taken at the start of meals and begins lowering blood sugar in about 12 minutes. Because it leaves the body quickly, it can also be useful in unexpected situations.
“If you're on the pump and your pump is failing, then get your little Afreeza," Barsony explains how it can save your life in case of pump failures.
Common side effects for Afrezza include coughing, and it’s not recommended for smokers or people with chronic lung diseases like asthma or COPD. It also isn’t used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.
Afrezza can be used by some people with type 2 diabetes, but there are requirements.
“The patient has to be on a basal insulin, so type 1 obviously are going to be on a basal insulin," Barsony explains, "but for type 2, the requirement is that they use a basal insulin and this is something that they do with the meals and it's really a better meal control.”
According to a 2022 press release from the American Diabetes Association, more than 37 million Americans, or about 11% of the country, are living with diabetes, and 8.4 million rely on insulin to survive.
"Having diabetes makes you unique," Pelayo explains, "You have a new persona, right? It's a new you, and just own it. Everyone is different.”
Dr. Barsony says the only downside is not having more options with the units you're allowed to put into the inhaler. "The units are not equivalent with the units that you would take with a shot," she explains.
The medicine must be prescribed by a doctor. Barsony says this may not work for everyone, but it offers flexibility and choice, which can help diabetics manage their health better.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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