Does Diabetes glow in the dark?

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Do You Glow in the Dark with Diabetes?

By Regina Wilshire

The Common Voice, SC, October 30, 2006

Yahoo! News recently carried a press release about a study published

from researchers in the Netherlands; their finding - subjects with

diabetes glow in the dark. The researchers investigated the use of a new

non-invasive tool to determine if it could accurately detect skin

florescence due to the accumulation of AGEs (advanced glycosylation end

products) in the skin of those with diabetes. AGEs are produced in the

body

when glucose binds with proteins - as they build up, they damage blood

vessels and cause complications such as nerve and vascular damage.

From previous studies (Dec 2005; June 2005; July 2004) the researchers

knew these AGEs have florescent properties, and this study " confirmed

that those properties could be measured by illuminating the skin, and

that high levels of autofluorescence were associated with more severe

diabetes complications, such as neuropathy, retinopathy and

cardiovascular problems. "

The lead researcher, Dr. Helen Lutgers, said of the finding, " With

this tool, doctors could easily check people with diabetes in an

outpatient clinic setting to see whether they may already be

developing

dangerous complications. The sooner complications are detected, the

better

the chance of preventing progression of damage. "

Here's the rub - while the device used in the study, DiagnOptics

AGE-Reader, is available commercially in Europe and is being used by

doctors there, it isn't available to healthcare professionals here in

the US because it is " restricted to experimental use only, " as it

awaits FDA approval.

How insane is that? A non-invasive device - shine a light and then in

30-seconds have a result that offers a good measure of accumulated

AGEs in the skin by the elbow - that can't get past the FDA approval

process?

This is some pretty cool technology if you ask me. It's non-invasive,

quick and from the data thus far, reliable and accurate. Considering

the very damaging complications from diabetes, especially from AGEs,

use of this type of device should be " standard of care " for those with

diabetes.

I'd even go so far as saying it would be a great add-on in the

" standard of care " for any doctor's office visit since the test is

quick and simple and the result could prompt further testing to see if

someone who has a high measure of florescence has undiagnosed diabetes

and is already suffering with complications even though they don't

know

it!

www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=6144

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