A glucose test for people with diabetes that doesn’t involve pricking the
skin 2 to 4 times a day to get a blood sample has been developed in the US. Gary
Small of Ohio University and Mark Arnold of the University of Iowa shine
infrared light through the tongue and measure how much is absorbed. As glucose
absorbs infrared at certain wavelengths, the amount of infrared that’s absorbed
tells you how much glucose is in the blood. They now plan to try the same trick
on the ear lobe. Mairi Benson of Diabetes UK says: “If this could make for
easier and more effective management of the condition, we’d welcome it.”
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