Reviewed by
Yuk-Fun Liu
This article explains the recent staging system which has been advocated by a number of diabetes organisations and experts, which acknowledges that we can now identify those at risk of type 1 diabetes years before the development of symptoms. Whilst this can still only practically used on a research basis in families with type 1 diabetes, it opens up the potential for targeting new treatments earlier to prevent overt diabetes and also to treat people before they present with severe symptoms such as with diabetes ketoacidosis. With her own daughter diagnosed at age 6, the author, Katie Bacon explains how she, her partner and their son have taken part in screening via a research network called TrialNet.
Sarah Gatward
Blog identifying how research is suggesting that the auto-immune process leading to a T1 diagnosis can start in infancy and explaining the importance of early diagnosis. Interesting as recognises speed of auto-immune process can be influenced by age at diagnosis. The frustrations, as pointed out in the blog, are that we are not yet at a stage where this knowledge can be used to intervene earlier.