Recent trends in the development of diagnostic tools for diabetes mellitus using patient saliva

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide health concern due to its high prevalence; almost 8.3% of the global population suffers from diabetes. It is a group of metabolic diseases classified by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Owing to the lack of simple diagnosis and treatment strategies, diabetes is a major cause of death worldwide, and more than 50% of cases remain undiagnosed. In addition, without timely diagnosis, diabetes-related complications and morbidity increase exponentially. Therefore, early diagnosis of diabetes is essential to prevent devastating complications. The current method of investigation requires a painful needle-prick to take blood, which could discourage individuals from seeking diagnosis. Recently, researchers have attempted to use patient saliva as a non-invasive method for identifying cases of diabetes. In this feature article, we discuss recent trends in the development of diagnostic tools for diabetes mellitus using patient saliva. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.