Researchers Have Learned How Dogs Can Sniff Out Diabetes

Scientists have finally figured out how dogs can seemingly detect diabetes in humans.

A new study — conducted by a joint group of researchers from the Wellcome-Trust MRC Institute of Metabolic Science and Cambridge University — has shown that the key to your dog’s diabetes-sniffing ability is found in your breath.

Isoprene, a naturally occurring chemical commonly found in human breath, tends to spike during low blood sugar levels in diabetes patients — and is commonly a sign of an impending hypoglycemia attack. The researchers found that dogs are especially sensitive to the chemical, and can detect the elevated isoprene levels on their owner’s breath.

Specially trained dogs have been used for years to sniff out cancer and diabetes. But until this study, the key to this amazing canine ability has been a mystery, according to Gizmodo.

Using this new knowledge, researchers could potentially develop a medical sensor that mimics a dog’s ability to detect isoprene levels. Such a device — perhaps a breath-sensing one — could replace the inconvenient and expensive pinprick sensors popular today.

Hypoglycemia occurs in diabetic patients when the levels of insulin are higher than glucose. Hyperglycemia is the opposite problem, and occurs when there’s too much glucose. Both are problems for patients with various forms of diabetes, and both can reportedly be detected by medical dogs.

CNBC points out that much of the research surrounding medical detection dogs is anecdotal. But this area of research could potentially lead to medical breakthroughs that could help diabetic patients — and even save lives.