July 9, 2004
Other
Question from Darien, Wisconsin, USA:
My son was diagnosed with type 1 almost two years ago. My question is about my daughter, who is now 12. Should she have any testing done to see if she has pre-diabetes or antibodies? Are there any other tests she should have?
Answer:
Most of the tests done for screening first degree relatives of those already diagnosed with diabetes are done via a research study at a major diabetes center. Antibodies (islet cell, insulin and GAD65) are generally used for such screening purposes. Some of these are available commercially, but may not be covered by your insurance companies and are expensive. You should discus this with your diabetes team and see if they participate in any such studies; if they do, these tests may be done without any costs. If they do not, they may be able to suggest which tests are available locally.
SB
