That nail polish remover smell from my breath.........

[jimmys devoted]

Researchers have developed a simple breath test for detecting Type 1 diabetes, and say that the new non-invasive tool could possibly be an economical method for tracking day-to-day glucose levels.

At present, Type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes is detected by directly drawing a small amount of blood and assessing the amount of glucose it contains.

Mbi and his advisor Chuji Wang have developed a new technique to detect acetone, one of the chemicals whose presence in the lungs rises when blood-sugar levels are high.

Mbi says that initial tests show that typical diabetics have acetone levels greater than 1.4 ppmv. Based on the new test, they could tell if the person is diabetic or not.

The new technique sounds helpful to Matt Petersen, director of information resources for the American Diabetes Association in Alexandria, Virginia. Current tests are highly accurate but require blood samples.

"Non-invasive techniques are always better. If the technique could be extended to test daily blood-sugar levels, then it would be "extremely interesting," Nature quoted Peterson, as saying.


Now to prove this is so true theer was acse in California I do beleive many yars ago. A man was stopped for weaving.
At first the officer thought he was drunk and rthe man agreed to abreathalyzer to prove he wasnt drunk. But the machine registered error not null.
when the officer got closer it was said that the man smelled from nail polish remover.
There are two endings to this story however... one ending was the man was cited for driving under DUI. The other was the man taken to the hospital because the dispatcher was an EMT who pegged it.
No matter which one you go for the main part was the true story. That he smelled from acetone, had not been drinking was not indr any insulin care and out of control diabetes willmimick so manythings.

[Team Diabetes]

Thanks jimmy for posting this. While I think this could be very helpful for things like the "drunk driving" incident (to rule out the person having diabetes), I don't think companies should continue to waste money trying to develop this as an alternative to blood sugar testing.

Here's why I think this:

-Ketones are usually only produced when the blood sugar gets above 10 mmol/l (at least)/180 mg/dl. Since we know that we need to keep very tight control to reduce the chance of complications, this will not be good enough to keep blood sugars in a healthy range. In Type 1 diabetes, the approach is to keep the blood sugar in a healthy range to PREVENT ketones from occuring in the first place. A Type 1 diabetic who is on top of things should have ketones rarely, unless they are sick.

-Low blood sugars and swings in blood sugars cannot not be detected by this method. These are just as dangerous, low blood sugar even more so, because it is an immediate emergency.

-There are other factors that can cause mild ketone production and affect results. Many people can have small amounts of ketones due to prolonged fasting (i.e. after sleeping in on a weekend).

All in all, I just wish researchers would grab a brain and start looking for a REAL solution for diabetes, instead of wasting money on useless or not very helpful products for the day to day issues of diabetes. For example, look at inhalable insulin! It flopped! Why? Because:

-No one can prove the "lung irritation" it causes does not last or contribute to cancer, etc. Also, there are pulmonary (lung) side effects like coughing.
-Type 1 diabetics often need more precise and/or smaller amounts of insulin than the inhaler packets can give.
-It's clunky and awkward, plus, Type 1 diabetics will still need long acting basal insulin, so they will need to have a daily injection anyway.
-Lastly, IT DOES NOT REALLY IMPROVE CONTROL!!! This is the most important thing! We as diabetics want to have a reduced chance of blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, etc. We want to have a better quality of life, and not have to worry about dangerous swings in blood sugars, etc. The inhaler does nothing to help this, unless you are a diabetic that skips shots because you hate needles. I personally don't know anyone (with a death wish!) who does this.

Type 1 diabetics themselves could have said what they wanted and what they need, if companies would grab a brain and ask! Like needles is the WORST part of Type 1 diabetes!? Yeah right. What a joke! We want a REAL solution!

I'm thinking about writing this company myself.... ;)

[jimmys devoted]

While i too dont see it as an alternative to Bg testing......
You have to think it woudl be helpful for officers to provide for traffic stops if something " smelled" amiss.

I know they are trying to think of non invasive testing, and while it sounds good, it could be used in situations where blood checks are impossible( ie fighting a diabetic who is hallucinating. I did that one when I worked on the ambulance,.. you just cant stick. but you can breathalyze easy!)

I remember my dad had that odor and I get it on occassion when my bgs are up when I am ill.

j.

[gsnarayanan]

It is a good bit of information. I find this thread is really useful. Thanks!:)

[cassiem0221]

I never believed that. My grandmother always had the most horrid breath. She always would blame it on her diabetes! I guess maybe she has been telling the truth all these years that we have doubted her. :) Don't I feel like an idiot...

[Cassy]

I have seen where police officers have stopped people driving, and decided they were drunk because of what they smell on their breath.

[Simplyme]

It is funny Cassie I do that same thing with a good friend of mine. Guess I am going to have to apologize and tell him how lucky he is to witness the once in a lifetime event of me being wrong and admitting it. :ohmy:

[faithib]

Thanks jimmy for posting this. While I think this could be very helpful for things like the "drunk driving" incident (to rule out the person having diabetes), I don't think companies should continue to waste money trying to develop this as an alternative to blood sugar testing.

Here's why I think this:

-Ketones are usually only produced when the blood sugar gets above 10 mmol/l (at least)/180 mg/dl. Since we know that we need to keep very tight control to reduce the chance of complications, this will not be good enough to keep blood sugars in a healthy range. In Type 1 diabetes, the approach is to keep the blood sugar in a healthy range to PREVENT ketones from occuring in the first place. A Type 1 diabetic who is on top of things should have ketones rarely, unless they are sick.

-Low blood sugars and swings in blood sugars cannot not be detected by this method. These are just as dangerous, low blood sugar even more so, because it is an immediate emergency.

-There are other factors that can cause mild ketone production and affect results. Many people can have small amounts of ketones due to prolonged fasting (i.e. after sleeping in on a weekend).

All in all, I just wish researchers would grab a brain and start looking for a REAL solution for diabetes, instead of wasting money on useless or not very helpful products for the day to day issues of diabetes. For example, look at inhalable insulin! It flopped! Why? Because:

-No one can prove the "lung irritation" it causes does not last or contribute to cancer, etc. Also, there are pulmonary (lung) side effects like coughing.
-Type 1 diabetics often need more precise and/or smaller amounts of insulin than the inhaler packets can give.
-It's clunky and awkward, plus, Type 1 diabetics will still need long acting basal insulin, so they will need to have a daily injection anyway.
-Lastly, IT DOES NOT REALLY IMPROVE CONTROL!!! This is the most important thing! We as diabetics want to have a reduced chance of blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, etc. We want to have a better quality of life, and not have to worry about dangerous swings in blood sugars, etc. The inhaler does nothing to help this, unless you are a diabetic that skips shots because you hate needles. I personally don't know anyone (with a death wish!) who does this.

Type 1 diabetics themselves could have said what they wanted and what they need, if companies would grab a brain and ask! Like needles is the WORST part of Type 1 diabetes!? Yeah right. What a joke! We want a REAL solution!

I'm thinking about writing this company myself.... ;)

I wish you would write that letter and I totally agree!!!
Type 1 diabetics unite!!

[jimmys devoted]

she went totally off kilter on teh poiunt of the piece.
first its nto meant for bG control. never was.
It is an indicator however like urine tests strips that something may be amiss.
The ability to test someone for CO2 ketone , molecules in exhale is a needed thing. Especially if a perosn is uncooperative. Many people go around with elevated BGs, one woman had over 1200, she didnt know where she was, was combative and hostile and a problem. They use dteh analyzer on her through an o2 mask and disocvered she was diabetic.

Its a toll, nothing more than that for others who will come in contact to be diagnosed not placed in danger.
Thast all, nothing more.
The comany saved a nu,mber fo lived because of this devicce. and many ambulances have them, polic have them as well. and now many polic departments are training for tact on diabetics.

j

[skatss]

I don't think the breath test is useful, either for diagnosing diabetes or for cops looking for drunk drivers.

As a diagnostic help, no one will be called a diabetic just from their breath. Once the other symptoms comes out the blood test is the bottom line diagnostic tool, and I don't think we all would want it otherwise.

As for drunks driving, the smell is that of nail polish remover, not of alcohol. Again, I doubt that any cop can win this case in front of a judge if it was just that he smelled something on the person's breath. There would have to be an alcohol test.

If a driver is actually going through a bad diabetic episode, there will be other symptoms. If the person doesn't already know he is a diabetic in order to tell the cops and is combative, clumsy and not in their right mind and still driving, then that person shouldn't be excused because they are ill. They chose to drive when not at their best. If the cops do an alcohol breathalyzer and the result comes up negative, then that person would be off to a hospital without any other diagnostic tries on the police's side. The hospital would be able to tell what is wrong with that person with any test. If they'd do a diabetic breath test, then they'd do a blood test anyway.

So bottom line, using the breath to tell if someone is a diabetic is just another waste of time. And if the cops are supposed to give that test too then it's a waste of taxpayers money.

[faithib]

I agree that diabetic drivers need to be more careful about testing when they are going to be driving on the road.
I always test before I drive. It is just not worth taking a chance just because I 'feel okay'. I can feel okay and be 65 or 44. I test and I test often when I am driving.

[jimmys devoted]

I know that when i was a paramedic we had to viost a jail and talk with a man who was arrested because the traffic cop thought he was drunk.
His breath smelled of strange alcohol. The cop copuldnt pinpoint it. He agreed to teh breathalyzer but uit showed something present but not alcohol.

Whenw e got there he was semi concious,a nd they justthought he was over drunk " s;eeping it off".
His attorney was there so we toook a small blood smaple and did a glucose test. he was 512. The lab condfirmed 576 after we got him out of there.
Theer have been incidences of unknown diabetics ins uch a bad state thatthey ahve been arrested on drunk driving. But they werent.
One thing you have to realize is that when you ahve runaway diabetes with such high numbers, as in teh case of teh woamn who was pulled over for wreckless endangerment and drunk drinkvingwhen her blood sugar was 1200, it does have profound changes.

Thast why so many states are going to the new meters for breathalyzers that can detect alcohol molecules in exhaled CO2 versus non identifiable molecules in CO2.
Emergency product news has teh new breathalyzers theyahve become so fine tuned thattheyc an dtetect up to 20 different exhaled elements in CO2!

This was not meant as a control unit, but a way to fight druunk driving and wrreckless endangerment. When your bloos sugars are that high or for that matter that low you are impared.....

julie

I