Simple Blood Test Helps Detect Type 1 Diabetes, Autoantibodies Show Increased Genetic Risk

Researchers believe that with the help of a simple blood test, they may be able to more easily diagnose Type 1 Diabetes.

According to a recent study, blood samples taken from children who were at an increased genetic risk for the disease revealed significant "preclinical" clues.

"If you have two or more autoantibodies, it's nearly inevitable that you will develop the disease. Most people -- even physicians -- don't appreciate this risk," said Dr. Jay Skyler, deputy director for clinical research at the Diabetes Research Institute and a professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, via U.S. News and World Report, who was not involved in the research.

Background information from the study shows that nearly 70 percent of youngsters with two diabetes-related autoantibodies developed the disease over a 10-year period, compared to less than 15 percent of children with just one of the antibodies.

The study examined children from Colorado, Finland and Germany who were followed from birth for a 15-year period. Children from Colorado and Finland were included in the study group if they carried a specific geneotype that showed a genetic predisposition to the disease. However, children from Germany had to have a parent with Type 1 Diabetes to be included.

Thirteen thousand children were recruited in total, in which researchers found that nearly 1,100 children or 8 percent of the total group developed one or more of the autoantibodies.

However, the vast majority of children remained free of the disease despite a the greater risk that they may develop the health problem. 

The study notes that 585 of the children developed two or more of the autoantibodies and the remaining 474 had just one.

Researchers believe that age and the number of autoantibodies found can help predict the likelihood of the problem. For instance, the study shows that children who had multiple autoantibodies before age 3 were more likely to develop Type 1 Diabetes. That said, girls were also more likely to progress to Type 1 Diabetes faster than boys if they had multiple autoantibodies.

The findings for the study can be found in the Journal of the American Medical Association.