Diabetes mellitus and insulin in an aspirin sensitive asthmatic.

The infrequency of diabetes mellitus and asthma in the same individual is re-examined. The antagonism between epinephrine and insulin, as suggested by Konig in 1935, is indeed accurate. The assays done by the Eli Lilly Research Department revealed no in vitro effect of insulin on the CAMP and GMP level of mast cells as occurs in liver cells. It is felt that this effect is probably an in vivo effect produced via the vagus nerve and alpha-adrenergic receptor system stimulation. This would explain the mechanism of aggravation of asthma by excess insulin. Dr. Petersen's studies, the negative intradermal skin tests to insulin and the absence of change on either beef or pork insulin usage by our patient all point to a nonatopic factor in the aggravation of the asthma of this patient. In the uncommon occurrence of asthma and diabetes in the same patient, insulin dosage should be considered as a factor in all such asthmatics who do not respond well to conventional therapy. Two additional asthmatics who also have diabetes did improve with cessation of nocturnal asthma by a reduction of their evening dose of insulin. A high fat, low carbohydrate diet, as suggested by Abrahamson to avoid dietary hyperinsulinism, is certainly worth considering in patients with nocturnal asthma. If patients cannot be made to follow a diet requiring frequent feedings high in protein and fats and low in carbohydrates, another approach suggests itself. Abrahamson was able to relieve the patients who developed nocturnal asthma with hypoglycemia by having them drink a glass of milk. Assuming other causes have been eliminated and a patient awakens each day at 3:00 a.m., an alarm clock could be set at 2:00 a.m. Milk or a milk substitute in milk sensitive patients could be taken at 2:00 a.m. to raise the blood sugar and hopefully prevent the asthma associated with hypoglycemia. Also to be noted is the ubiquitous use of tartrazine in so many drugs, including those used to relieve asthmatic symptoms. Inasmuch as tartrazine so frequently aggravates the aspirin sensitive asthmatic, it would be wise for pharmaceutical companies to become cognizant of this fact and delete tartrazine from their antiasthmatic preparations.