Medics hope a new screening programme set to involve 20,000 children could transform how Type 1 Diabetes is detected.
Launched on World Diabetes Day - November 14 - the scheme will identify children at high risk of the condition. The aim is to recruit 20,000 children aged between three and 13 for the programme - which is called ELSA. That stands for "Early Surveillance of Autoimmune diabetes".
Up to 400,000 people in the UK have Type 1 diabetes - which is the most common form of diabetes found in children, and not linked to lifestyle factors. In the main, those affected are unable to produce their own insulin. By comparison, Type 2 Diabetes tends to affect older people and sees them often develop either insulin resistance or not produce enough insulin to deal with high blood sugar levels.
