Dogs can be lifesaver for diabetes patients

London: A new study found out that dogs could be lifesavers by acting as an early-warning system for millions of patients with diabetes

Experts have proved for the first time that dogs are trained to respond to their owner's low blood sugar levels, which can save their owners from a potentially fatal - hypoglycaemic attack, the Daily Express reported.

The animals use their acute sense of smell to detect changes in the chemical comp-position of their owner's sweat or breath.Dogs can be taught to raise the alarm by barking, pawing or even fetching a blood testing kit.

All people with Type 1 diabetes and those with Type 2 diabetes who are on glucose lowering medication, including insulin, need to check their blood glucose regularly.

If they take too much insulin, it can result in hypoglycaemia - or a hypo - caused by abnormally low levels of sugar in the blood.

Symptoms include hunger, trembling or shakiness, and sweating. In more cases that are serious, it can affect concentration or cause slurred speech. Failure to correct the hypo through eating a sugary food can lead to coma and even death.

Now, the first academic study to assess whether dogs could be reliably used to -provide an early-warning system to monitor glycaemia control has been carried out by researchers from the University of Bristol.