Scientists have developed a new blood test that analyses lipids, which could help identify children at risk for serious conditions like type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease.
Researchers from King’s College London discovered a strong link between lipids and metabolic diseases in children, suggesting this test could act as an early warning system for potentially life-threatening illnesses. By utilising existing machines that analyse blood plasma in hospitals, doctors could detect early signs of disease in children more quickly, enabling faster access to treatment.
Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, the study’s lead author, explained: “For decades, lipid classification focused on good and bad cholesterol, but now, with a simple blood test, we can assess a wider range of lipid molecules that may indicate early illness.” Legido-Quigley, a systems medicine leader at King’s and the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, highlighted the test’s potential, stating it could offer a new way to assess individual disease risk and even prevent metabolic diseases like diabetes through lipid molecule study and modification.
Published in Nature Medicine, the study challenges the idea that cholesterol is the main factor in obesity-related complications in children, uncovering other lipid molecules that contribute to health risks such as high blood pressure, independent of a child’s weight.
