Breath test to check diabetics’ sugar levels

A painless breath test could replace the daily finger prick check for diabetics after scientists found a chemical which rises when blood sugar is too low.

Researchers have known for some time that dogs can be trained to notice when their owners are about to suffer a hypoglycaemic attack because of lack of glucose. Now Cambridge University has managed to isolate the chemical, isoprene, which they are sniffing, which means it could be screened for in a breath test.