Families with children aged two to 17 in Medway and Swale are being invited to attend clinics in the Easter holidays to take part in a research study aimed at identifying children at risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Medway Maritime Hospital has expanded its involvement in the ELSA (EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes) study, the largest of its kind in the UK. Since joining the study, the hospital’s research team has recruited more than 430 children aged three to 13. The second phase of the study has now been expanded to include children aged two to 17.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise. Early detection can make a significant difference to how the condition is managed.
Dr Mhd Iyad Ramadan, Principal Investigator for the study at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Initial results from the ELSA study show how important testing for type 1 diabetes is. Children who are diagnosed early can receive medication that delays the onset of the disease.
“Expanding the age range means more families can benefit from early testing, helping doctors manage the condition before symptoms appear. This gives children and their families time to prepare, rather than facing the shock of emergency treatment.”
Across the country, more than 37,000 children have now taken part in the study.
