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Chemical found in breath could provide early warning for hypoglycemia
Researchers have found that increased levels of the chemical isoprene are present in human breath during hypoglycemia, and they hope this finding will aide in developing new detectors of hypoglycemia for patients with type 1 diabetes.
The researchers at Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge, U.K., sought to identify naturally occurring chemicals in the breath that change when glucose levels are low. They lowered blood glucose levels of eight women with type 1 diabetes and then used mass spectrometry to detect the chemical signature of their breath.
Isoprene levels rose significantly during hypoglycemia, according to the researchers. They suggested that dogs may be sensitive to the presence of isoprene, which may explain why dogs can be trained to signal when their human companions undergo hypoglycemia.
“Humans aren’t sensitive to the presence of isoprene, but dogs with their incredible sense of smell find it easy to identify and can be trained to alert their owners about dangerously low blood sugar levels,” Mark Evans, MD, honorary consultant physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said in a press release. “It provides a ‘scent’ that could help us develop new tests for detecting hypoglycemia and reducing the risk of potentially life-threatening complications for patients living with diabetes.”
Disclosure: Please see the full study for a list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.