I have had type 1 diabetes for 23 years, my sister has had it for 30 years, and my oldest son has had it for seven years. I am very concerned about my younger, nine-year-old, son. Random checks of his glucose after meals reveal elevated glucoses (143 mg/dl [7.9 mmol/L] and 212 mg/dl [11.8 mmol/L]). He has not lost weight, but he has increased thirst. Given my family history, is there anything I can do to prevent/delay type 1 onset?

Not anything which is safe or scientifically approved. Avoiding obesity would be helpful in not overstressing such a pancreas. Knowing whether or not he is islet cell and GAD antibody positive or negative would provide some more information. Some research studies in newborns suggest that avoiding wheat/gluten as well as cow’s milk may also be helpful, but we do not know if this would also apply to older children/adults. You should discuss this specifically with your diabetes team so that they can give you more specific advice about how often to monitor someone whose blood glucose levels are already intermittently abnormal.

SB