Remember back in 2006 all the buzz surrounding Exubera, Pfizer's inhalable insulin product? It was much-hyped by Pfizer and, let's face, the media happily joined in too, spreading the word that (as Pfizer would have it) Exubera would be wildly successful and make squillions of dollars for investors.

It didn't work out that way at all. Sales so far have topped out at around four million dollars per quarter, far short of the two billion projected before the product was released. Now, in a bid to lift lackluster sales, Pfizer is launching a major ad campaign for Exubera. Yes, the inhaler device is extremely indiscreet. Yes, long-term use of the drug itself could cause lung damage. Oh, and health insurers may not cover prescriptions for Exubera for those diabetics who want to try it. But I guess where there's a slick selling strategy there's a way...into the pockets of consumers, that is.

Which is not to say I blame Pfizer. The company has poured so much money into this product, does it really have a choice at this point? No. Also, it's entirely possible Pfizer could turn things around. This article by Arlene Weintraub for Business Week reminds readers that the drug giant had enormous success with its clever ad campaigns for Viagra and for the incontinence drug Detrol. Writes Weintraub, this new campaign will probably cost Pfizer big-time: we're talking tens of millions of dollars, but it will be worth it for Pfizer if it can reproduce that kind of success.

Diabetes Health surveyed women about the effects of diabetes on your sex life and how you overcome the hurdles. Be forewarned, some parts are R-rated, but that's what you came for, right?

Half of the people surveyed say they have difficulty relaxing during sex. Only 19% say that plain awkwardness due to diabetes is more distracting than any physical changes. Dr.Grace Beltran (Amazing Grace) describes the Anatomy of a Female Orgasm quite clearly. She says: sensorial impulses shoot up your spinal cord to special parts of your brain called the sensory cortex and the limbic system (the emotional brain), which is when you experience the euphoria of reaching Mt. Orgasmus. Many diabetes drugs can cause B vitamin insufficiencies and malabsorption (look for "malaise" on the side effects).

56% take no special steps before sex due to diabetes, although 57% of you feel that sex is harder because of diabetes, and 24% of you say that sex is just too difficult because of diabetes. (See Amazing Grace's roadmap to the Anatomy of a Female Orgasm, above).

Durable goods: About 20% of you who wear a pump say it's interfered with sex and gotten tangled up during sex (true), but 27% of you detach your pump before sex. I can see how an insulin pump might get a little cumbersome when gravity and inertia come into play - but that's when your partner really shines.

The Eros-CDT is an appliance for increasing blood flow to the clitoris. 33% of ladies surveyed would ask their doctor about it, but 27% would not use it no matter what. 27% use a vibrator during sex with your partner. Wouldn't an Eros-CDT and a vibrator be one in the same? Let Nationwide Insurance pickup the tab for your Jack Rabbit. A friend told me they are happy to pay for any claim as long as you can prove you own it with the Owners Manual.

About 20% of you have tried Viagra, and it's helped about half of the women who have tried it. 27% of you have noticed numbness in the clitoral area that you attribute to neuropathy. Forget the pills, ladies. Get on the horn with your insurance company and demand the right to clitoral stimulation!!

Finally, it's apparently worse to be old than to be diabetic: 39% of you have found menopause to be a bigger issue than diabetes when it comes to sex. And 80% of you want more articles about how to deal with diabetes-caused sexual problems.

So now we know. Diabetes Health will be running more articles about sex and diabetes, so keep your curiosity piqued and your eyes open - this is the first survey result but it will certainly NOT be the last.

A study shows that men with type 2 diabetes experience pronounced risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) when they have symptoms of depression.

Depression appears to be a vicious cycle that may instigate the development of ED, while the ED symptoms perpetuate the symptoms of depression. Effectively deducing that ED in diabetic patients is not related entirely to organic factors. The study evaluated men with type 2 diabetes who completed questionnaires every 6 months for 3 years. Five hundred men reported ED at the start of the study, and an additional 192 developed the disorder during follow-up. The investigators noted higher prevalence of high blood pressure (46% versus 32%) and lipid abnormalities (23% versus 13%) among men who complained of ED. The researchers also observed higher incidence of retinopathy, neuropathy or heart and vascular disease in ED sufferers. Those with ED were more likely to be treated with insulin or diuretics. Depression and ED was found more often in those with poor physical and psychological health.

The researchers surmised that erectile problems are not necessarily an inevitable outcome of the aging process. The risk factors for ED are modifiable and can be changed to reduce the likelihood of the outcome (or lack thereof). The results should serve as uplifting news for suffers of ED, no pun intended.

Health complications caused by diabetes are in the news a lot. However, one complication -- sexual dysfunction in diabetic women -- is an often-neglected topic. Diabetic women can experience dryness down there as well as other discomforts, which can make sexual intercourse difficult. I'm happy to report that help is on the way! And that help takes the form of Viagra.

Yes, researchers in Italy have been looking into this problem. They conducted an experiment involving thirty-two female volunteers with Type 1 diabetes who were experiencing sexual dysfunction. Some were instructed to take Viagra one hour before having sex. The results were soundly in favor of Viagra: those who took the medication reported a significant improvement in their enjoyment of sex, their ability to become aroused and their ability to have an orgasm. (Viagra works for women in the same way that it works for men: it improves blood flow. That is, in men, it improves blood flow to the penis. In women, it improves blood flow to the clitoris.)