Signs of diabetes risk 'spotted years in advance'

The early signs of diabetes have been uncovered by a new piece of research published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Researchers at Lund University found that individuals who have above-average levels of a protein called SFRP4 in their blood are five times more likely to develop diabetes in the future.

Taman Mahdi, main author of the study and one of the researchers in Anders Rosengren's group, said: "The theory has been that low-grade chronic inflammation weakens the beta cells so that they are no longer able to secrete sufficient insulin."

It was noted in the report that there are numerous reasons for this, but that higher levels of SFRP4 is among them.

Mr Rosengren said uncovering the risk of developing diabetes could help a person to change their lifestyle to reduce their chances of being diagnosed with the condition later in life.

According to recent research published online in the journal Primary Health Care Research & Development, many patients newly diagnosed with diabetes wait months for information.

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