West Norfolk boy takes part in diabetes trial to help others

“I'm really happy to take part in research”, says the Smithdon High School student.

Logan, 11, is one of thousands of children aged 3-13 years who are taking part in the ELSA study, a national screening study for type 1 diabetes.

Logan is a pupil at Smithdon High School in west Norfolk, a county with one of the largest populations of children and young people living with type 1 diabetes. In his spare time, he enjoys gaming and seeing his friends.

He decided to take part in the study when his mum got the invitation through his school, saying that he thinks it’s “really important to get tested.”

The ELSA study hopes to find children at risk of developing type 1 diabetes, so they can be monitored and supported, reducing the risk of them becoming seriously unwell at diagnosis. This also gives the opportunity to test new treatments that could delay the start of the condition.

The study is being funded by Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research partner of the NHS, public health and social care.

Type 1 diabetes is a serious condition where the body cannot make a hormone called insulin. This causes the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood to get too high. Insulin helps the body use glucose for energy.

People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day via injections or insulin pump to stay alive. Managing blood sugar levels is important in reducing the risk of short-term and long-term health problems, known as diabetes complications. Although it’s often diagnosed in childhood, a type 1 diabetes diagnosis can happen at any age.

The NIHR community research team in the East of England are holding ELSA screening clinics at schools and pharmacies across the region.

The screening involves parents providing their consent for their child to take part. The child attends the clinic at their school to have a few drops of blood taken from their finger that is sent off for testing.

They are testing for 4 different antibodies (blood markers). As the number of antibodies a child has increases, this increases their risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the future. Around 3 in 1,000 children are multiple antibody positive and at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

For children who are at high risk, finding out early allows them to be followed up closely. They’re able to prepare for an eventual diagnosis and start treatment sooner, helping to avoid the risk of becoming seriously unwell and to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis.

On his experience taking part in the ELSA study at his school, Logan said:

“It was really easy taking part and the people were really nice to me. I'm really happy to take part in research, because in the future I can help people by having this test.”

His mum, Alison, adds:

“I was very happy for Logan to take part in the study, as I think that screening tests are a good thing for children to have.”

Helen Rossiter, Clinical Research Nurse at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C), is helping to deliver the study. She said:

“The ELSA study is really important, particularly in Norfolk and Waveney, as we have one of the largest populations of children and young people living with type 1 diabetes in England.

“We’re trying to identify children at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes so that we can hopefully reduce the risk of children getting seriously ill.

“We're working with the NIHR to deliver research in the wider community, including schools, to enable children and young people to be able to engage and participate in research.”

Dr Helen Macdonald, Network Director at the NIHR East of England Regional Research Delivery Network, said:

“We are thankful for people like Logan who take part in research, as they are helping us to understand more about the development of type 1 diabetes in children.

“The NIHR is delivering research in schools to help ensure that research can reach children and young people and help shape their future health and wellbeing.”

You can find out more about the ELSA study by visiting www.elsadiabetes.nhs.uk.

To find out more about other studies, please visit www.bepartofresearch.uk.