<p>A sweet smell on the breath of your kids could have bitter health consequences as researchers have found that it could signal the onset of Type 1 diabetes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A sweet-smelling chemical marker (acetone) in the breath is linked with a build-up of potentially harmful chemicals (ketones) in the blood that accumulate when insulin levels are low, the researchers noted.<br /><br />"Current testing for diabetes requires a blood test which can be traumatic for children," said co-author of the study and professor Gus Hancock from the University of Oxford in Britain.<br /><br />These results - linking an increased level of breath acetone with increased levels of harmful ketones in the blood - could inspire the development of a diagnostic device to identify children with new diabetes before the onset of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).<br /><br />DKA occurs when a severe lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose for energy and starts to break down fat instead.<br /><br />Organic compounds called ketones are the by-product of the breakdown of fat and, if left unchecked, can build up and cause the body to become acidic.<br /><br />Acetone, which is the simplest ketone, is one of the by-products produced in the development of DKA and is usually disposed of through the breath.<br /><br />In their study, the researchers collected the breath samples from 113 children and adolescents. The study appeared in the Journal of Breath Research.</p>
<p>A sweet smell on the breath of your kids could have bitter health consequences as researchers have found that it could signal the onset of Type 1 diabetes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A sweet-smelling chemical marker (acetone) in the breath is linked with a build-up of potentially harmful chemicals (ketones) in the blood that accumulate when insulin levels are low, the researchers noted.<br /><br />"Current testing for diabetes requires a blood test which can be traumatic for children," said co-author of the study and professor Gus Hancock from the University of Oxford in Britain.<br /><br />These results - linking an increased level of breath acetone with increased levels of harmful ketones in the blood - could inspire the development of a diagnostic device to identify children with new diabetes before the onset of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).<br /><br />DKA occurs when a severe lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose for energy and starts to break down fat instead.<br /><br />Organic compounds called ketones are the by-product of the breakdown of fat and, if left unchecked, can build up and cause the body to become acidic.<br /><br />Acetone, which is the simplest ketone, is one of the by-products produced in the development of DKA and is usually disposed of through the breath.<br /><br />In their study, the researchers collected the breath samples from 113 children and adolescents. The study appeared in the Journal of Breath Research.</p>