Hypoglycemia Alert Dogs Offer Assistance To People With Diabetes

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 20 Feb 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Glucose monitors, test strips, and lancets: people with diabetes are all too familiar with the equipment used to test their blood glucose (sugar) levels. Now some people are adding a different kind of aid to their diabetes management regimen. The March 2008 issue of Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), features an article about assistance dogs that are trained to sense episodes of human hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, and sound a life-saving alert.

According to the article, these dogs seem to sense a dangerous drop in blood glucose before it begins, allowing the people they work with to prevent an episode altogether. Some dogs seem to sense high blood glucose, too. Mark Ruefenacht is a forensic scientist with type 1 diabetes who started a hypoglycemia alert dog training center in California and has been placing trained dogs with people who need them for three years.

"Clients are coming back saying, 'I have never had better control of my blood sugar in my life as I have since I got this dog.'"

Scientists remain unsure about how the dogs are able to sense changes in their human companions. It is believed that the dogs are reacting to scents created by chemical changes related to glucose imbalance, but no one knows exactly which chemicals cause the scent. Despite this scientific uncertainty, hypoglycemia alert dogs have provided a great sense of relief to people with diabetes and their families, including parents of young children with diabetes and adults whose history of hypoglycemic episodes made it difficult or even dangerous to live alone.

Currently, there are only a few groups in the United States that are training assistance dogs to sense hypoglycemia. The training requires years of expensive work, which severely limits the number of people who can be paired with dogs. For those who do get the chance, however, the benefit can be remarkable.

"The first time that dog gets you up in the middle of the night because your child is dropping into a serious low, rapidly you realize it's worth every penny you spent, and every minute you had to wait," says Donna Cope, whose child has diabetes.

Also in the March 2008 issue of Diabetes Forecast:

Young comic-book authors Kamaal and Malcolm Washington discuss the process of creating comic-books about diabetes. The two brothers, 14 and 12, began their work after Kamaal was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. "We came up with the idea of writing a comic book that would be for kids so they can really understand what diabetes is, instead of it being only for adults to explain,." he says. Their first book, Omega Boy Versus Doctor Diabetes, focuses on a boy who learns he has diabetes, while the second book, Enter the Blaze!, features glucose strips and insulin pumps ��" and an alien plot to destroy them! Next up, the Washington boys plan to see their characters taking on diabetes research advocacy.

In addition, the March 2008 issue brings information about:

- Summer camp! An annual listing of the 44 ADA Diabetes Camps across the country.
- Your kidneys - disease symptoms, screening, prevention, and treatment.
- Using the synthetic hormone Symlin to curb high glucose levels and even lose weight.
- The benefits of practicing yoga with diabetes, including a simple beginner's program developed by a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine.

Diabetes Forecast has been America's leading diabetes magazine for 60 years. Each full-color issue offers the latest news on diabetes research and treatment. Its mission is to provide information, inspiration, and support to people with diabetes, helping them to live a healthier lifestyle, control their diabetes, and prevent or treat its many complications. The magazine is published monthly by the American Diabetes Association.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

American Diabetes Association