Defining diabetes: the DEFINE study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DEfining diabetes: a Feasibility study exploring the use of INnovativE technologies to optimise the threshold for diagnosis (DEFINE)
IRAS ID
251491
Contact name
Timothy Jackson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Diabetes-related eye disease remains the leading cause of blindness in people of working age in the UK. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent sight-threatening complications of diabetes, hence there is a pressing need to screen at-risk patients before the onset of symptoms.
This study will evaluate the role of four novel technologies that may help diagnosis asymptomatic diabetes-related eye disease: (i) confocal microscopy of corneal nerves (measuring the nerves that supply the clear window at the front of the eye), (ii) optical coherence tomography angiography (imaging the blood vessels at the back of the eye), (iii) electroretinography (measuring the electrical impulses in the eye) and (iv) electrochemical skin conductance (measuring the nerves that causes sweating).
The measurements obtained from these technologies will be compared with blood sugar levels in both pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. These results will help determine if conventional blood test thresholds for diagnosing diabetes are still valid, or whether diabetes-related eye disease may be occurring prior to the onset of any blood test abnormalities. Future research can then evaluate if earlier interventions in asymptomatic patients can help prevent the onset and progression of diabetic eye disease.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/2126
Date of REC Opinion
30 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion