Measuring and comparing breath acetone and blood ketones
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Correlating breath acetone with blood ketone measurements in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus
IRAS ID
176892
Contact name
Gus Hancock
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Effective management of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) currently requires the testing of blood between 4 and 10 times daily to make regular blood glucose (BG) measurements, as well as occasional measurements (again on blood samples) of blood ketones, specifically beta-Hydroxy butyrate (βHB). This routine is often inconvenient and painful: measurements are a significant burden of the condition.
In light of this, the development of noninvasive methods for monitoring glucose and ketone levels has been the focus of much research in recent years. The measurement of breath gases is one such approach, and the most common breath gas studied has been acetone. A recently completed study correlating breath gases with blood glucose and ketones in children (12/WS/0164) found significant and positive results in the relationship between βHB and breath acetone.
This study seeks to build on those initial findings by gathering data and correlations for low (<0.5 mmol/L) and high (>5 mmol/L) blood βHB and breath acetone, and to explore the temporal relationship between breath and blood components. Three groups of adults will be recruited: those with T1DM; those admitted to hospital with suspected diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA); and healthy volunteers as controls. Participation will involve single blood and breath samples for T1DM and healthy participants. For those with DKA in hospital, measurements will be taken at the time of clinical assessments to track any temporal changes as well. Since discovery of a reliable link between blood βHB and breath acetone opens the possibility of diabetes management through breath analysis, a small subset of participants with T1DM will be invited to pilot the use of an acetone breath monitor at home.REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0285
Date of REC Opinion
28 May 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion