24 May 2023 - - Scientists at Klick Labs have developed a new way to catch the earliest signs the human body is failing to control blood glucose levels, before it reaches prediabetic levels in patients, the company said.

In findings published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health, researchers outlined a new method of analysis that flags a precursor to prediabetes called impaired glucose homeostasis.

When they applied their patented mathematical method to data obtained from continuous glucose monitors, scientists found about one in five study participants, considered healthy by medical standards, actually had glucose metabolism similar to those with prediabetes.

A total of 384 people were equipped with a CGM for the study and assessed by a physician over a two-week time period. Participants were diagnosed diabetic, pre-diabetic, or healthy, according to guidelines outlined by the American Diabetes Association.

After applying the mathematical model, patients were then re-classified into two groups based on their glucose homeostasis parameters: effective or impaired.

About 34 m people have diabetes in the US and one in three Americans have prediabetes or diabetes.

North of the border, there are 11.7m Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes in the US, more than 80 % don't know they have it.

With research suggesting it is possible to reverse diabetes, or at least slow its progression, there is growing demand for screening tools that can flag at-risk individuals.

Screening and monitoring involve reviewing risk factors such as age, BMI, and family history; and diagnosis relies primarily on the blood tests like glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.

These findings are the latest in Klick's ongoing work in the diabetes space. Their "Homeostasis as a proportional–integral control system" study, published in Nature Digital Medicine in 2020, was also based on mathematical modeling to determine some of the underlying changes in how glucose is regulated.

This work was performed in ongoing collaboration with Ontario Tech University, Lennaert van Veen, Professor of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science, and funded in part by a Mitacs grant.

Klick Applied Sciences' diverse team of data scientists, engineers, and biological scientists conducts scientific research and develops AI/ML and software solutions as part of the company's work to support commercial efforts using its proven business, scientific, medical, and technological expertise.

Its 2019 Voice Assistants Medical Name Comprehension study laid the scientific foundation for rigorously testing voice assistant consumer devices in a controlled manner.

The Klick Group of companies–Klick Health (including Klick Katalyst and btwelve), Klick Media Group, Klick Applied Sciences (including Klick Labs), Klick Consulting, and Sensei Labs–is an ecosystem of brilliant talent collectively working to maximize their people's and clients' full potential.

Established in 1997, Klick has teams across North America, with offices in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, global hubs in London, São Paulo, and Singapore, and plans to open more offices in Basel, Buenos Aires, Munich, Paris, and Tokyo.