Test to spot early signs of diabetes

SCieNTiSTS have taken the first step in developing a test for type 2 diabetes that can detect the disease years before any symptoms appear.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal, or doesn’t make good use of the insulin it is producing.

By analysing blood samples which had been taken from people three years before they were diagnosed with the condition, researchers at the university of glasgow found that the pancreas releases proteins into the blood as soon as it has to work harder. The researchers, writing in the journal PLOS One, say their findings could form the basis of a test.