[noscript_1]
A simple finger-prick test could help identify people at risk of developing major diseases, research suggests.
Scientists have found that the ratio of sugar and acids in the blood could uncover a person’s likelihood of one day having cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
It could also help identify risk factors associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
These non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – long-term conditions that cannot be passed from person to person – are responsible for around three-quarters of deaths worldwide.
By 2050, they are expected to surpass infectious diseases as the leading global health burden.
However, researchers say the glucose ketone index (GKI) test, which requires only a finger-prick blood sample, could be a valuable tool to assess patients at risk, and offer early intervention.
The method measures levels of glucose – blood sugar – and ketones, chemicals produced by the liver when the body burns fat for energy.
It then analyses the ratio of the two compounds to give a score, known as the GKI, which researchers say may give a better picture of a person’s health than measuring blood sugar alone.
A simple finger-prick test could help identify people at risk of developing major diseases, research suggests
A lower GKI – meaning lower blood sugar and higher ketone levels – could indicate healthier metabolism, while a higher score may suggest poorer metabolic health.
This means that the body is burning fat for fuel effectively, rather than relying on carbohydrates only.
Previous studies have linked the combination of high ketones and low blood sugar to dramatically reduced risk of several major diseases, most of which are obesity-related.
Overweight and obesity is the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK (behind smoking), causing more than 1 in 20 cancer cases, according to Cancer Research UK.
Authors of the study, published in Frontiers in Science, say the GKI could provide a simple way to assess a person’s health.
Lead author Thomas Seyfried, Professor of biology and genetics from Boston College, said: ‘These conditions are not the result of genetic fate but are largely shaped by lifestyle factors.
‘This GKI test outlines a proposed pathway that could support the prevention and management of cancer and chronic disease.’
For the research, the scientists reviewed hundreds of previous studies on the topic and concluded that assessing blood sugar and ketone levels was safe, accurate and cost efficient.
The GKI was originally developed to help monitor whether cancer patients were sticking to a ketogenic diet – which some alternative doctors have suggested could help to starve tumours of energy that helps them grow.
The authors stress that larger clinical studies are needed to show whether the test can accurately predict disease risk or improve treatment in practice.
Co-author Dr Isabella Cooper, biochemist and researcher from the University of Westminster, advocated for introducing GKI testing to the public.
‘[The test] could provide a clear, cohesive readout that goes beyond weight loss, and one that supports and tracks sustained behaviour change to help assess disease risk and treatment response.’
