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Mary Humphries tells how her son Dan was diagnosed with diabetes aged 16 and it was assumed he had type 1 diabetes and treated with insulin. On insulin he had terrible problems with low blood sugars frequently losing consciousness and not managing to concentrate at school or at home. Mary was very worried that he was getting worse on the insulin and asked about genetic tests because she had recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and there was diabetes in all generations of her family. She was not listened to; the insulin was continued, and Dan got worse. Searching the internet for answers she found the Exeter diabetesgenes.org website which led her to talking to Andrew and Maggie.

They were able to rapidly diagnose that this was Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), subtype HNF1A . with a genetic test. Maggie helped Dan to stop his insulin and get excellent control on a quarter of the sulphonylurea tablet called gliclazide. Dan rapidly improved off the insulin and passed his A levels with flying colours going to Bristol where he achieved his life’s ambition to become a large animal vet.

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Dr Nick Thomas talks about Type 1 diabetes in the older adult. In an iconoclastic study he showed most cases of Type 1 diabetes occur in adults rather than children. In older adults it is very hard to recognise as 98-99% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. Older adults with Type 1 diabetes have just as rapid a decline in their own insulin and need all the expert care offered to children.