MEDICAL experts and advocates are calling for nationwide screening for type 1 diabetes (T1D), with new screening methods capable of identifying the condition years before symptoms appear.
An estimated 25,000 Australians are unknowingly in the early stages of the condition, according to a report from Breakthrough T1D presented to Health Minister Mark Butler yesterday at Parliament House in Canberra.
The report, Cost of not knowing, claims new screening methods capable of identifying T1D years before symptoms appear could help prevent the impact of a shock diagnosis.
Early detection could also identify those who may benefit from therapies that may slow, delay, or halt the progression of the disease.
Approximately 90% of people diagnosed with T1D have no known family history, meaning most diagnoses arrive suddenly and without warning.
"Decades of research has made it possible to detect and diagnose type 1 diabetes at an early stage," said Dr Dorota Pawlak, Chief Scientific Officer at Breakthrough T1D Australia (formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF).
"With the tools and evidence at our disposal, we have the opportunity to move from emergency diagnoses to early detection," she said.
The Cost of Not Knowing report highlights projects funded by Breakthrough T1D that use simple blood tests to detect T1D before symptoms such as frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss and fatigue present.
One project tested for T1D autoantibodies in people with a family history of T1D, while another identified children with an increased genetic risk of the disease.
"With nationwide screening, we can ensure that no Australian faces type 1 diabetes without warning," Dr Pawlak said.
"The impact of widespread screening and early detection would be profound for Australians who would otherwise face the trauma of a sudden, life-threatening diagnosis.
"Instead, they would have time to prepare, connect with support services, and access care long before complications develop."
Read the report HERE.
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