Five years in the making and what looms as a life saver.. a breathalyser to detect dangerous low blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes patients has been developed by Sydney University scientists. The breath analyser will aid diabetics detect the incidence of ketoacidosis.. a life threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body produces hi levels of blood acids called keytones. In further outstanding R&D by the team at Sydney Uni, the consumption of popular gluten-free foods with a hi glycaemic index (GI).. such as rice crackers, some so called healthy cereals and potatoes, can boost the chance of developing D2 by as much as 87%.
I watched a documentary showing that dogs can be trained to smell ketones. Each time the ketone level was too high the dog would jump at the person so as to remind them that action needs to be taken.
If a diabetic monitors his/her own blood glucose levels with some regularity, they should already be aware of the changes in their glucose levels. Any self-monitoring method requires the patient to be an active participant. Are these breathalyzers going to be portable or an emergency room-type machine? It has long been known that high carbohydrate intake contributes to elevated blood sugar levels which can be an issue for diabetics. A poor diet has always been a factor contributing to metabolic syndrome.
Ketosis is a much bigger danger in the Type 1 diabetics than the Type 2. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease for which there has been no connection discovered between lifestyle and disorder; Type 2 however, is a disease of lifestyle in most cases.
My best friend is a Type 1.5, which I had never heard of until her diagnosis a few years ago. She wears an insulin pump thing and has to keep very close tabs on her numbers. And I might be wrong (and often am), but I don't believe "ketosis" is the same thing as ketoacidosis.
Ketosis is what causes ketoacidosis. If ketosis goes to the extreme, it can cause the pH of your blood to drop, putting you into acidosis. pH going the other way CAN be "metabolic", but is generally respiratory in nature, and is thus referred to as "respiratory alkalosis" and is usually corrected with changes in breathing. Diabetic ketaoacidosis is a form of metabolic acidosis. Ketosis occurs when fat breaks down, so when the body loses control of that pathway, it can go bad. Perhaps diabetes 1.5 is someone who has both. I know they are recognizing that a type 1 can develop type 2 and that makes things more difficult to manage, but I am now out of that loop.
I was thinking more along the lines of ketosis not being a dangerous condition, but ketoacidosis is. The "keto" diet is based on ketosis.