Diabetic casts aside injections

Niona MacDougall was diagnosed with diabetes when she was a baby

A diabetic woman who needed daily insulin injections almost since birth has cast aside her syringes after a treatment breakthrough.

In 2004, doctors discovered that Niona MacDougall's condition was caused by a genetic defect.

They then tried the 33-year-old from Carnoustie on sulphonylurea tablets and she has been needle-free all summer.

Doctors hope that people all over the UK with genetic diabetes will benefit from similar treatment.

The tablets only work for patients such as Ms MacDougall who were diagnosed when they were a baby, usually younger than six months.

It will not help the vast majority of diabetes sufferers - those who have type 1 or type 2.

Sulphonylurea is usually used to treat type 2, but does not have the same dramatic effects.

As the tablets were increased and the insulin was reduced, she just got happier and happier Jayne Cameron Nurse

Ms MacDougall said: "Life now is easier, more comfortable and just generally happier.

"I just generally feel a lot better and my diabetes is under much better control now.

"Since coming off insulin I've also lost over a stone in weight, which is great as well."

Her mother Mary has spent the past 33 years wondering whether a cure or better treatments for her daughter's diabetes would ever come.

"When Niona was born, the doctors and nurses at the time said to me she was so young that something would be found that would make her better," she said.

"Well after all this time you start to wonder whether that will ever happen, but now it has. It is absolutely wonderful.

"The difference it has made for Niona is fantastic. We are all a lot more comfortable now coping with her diabetes."

Improving understanding

Jayne Cameron, a diabetes specialist nurse with NHS Tayside, has also seen the difference the new treatment has made.

She said: "It was obvious that the whole family's life circulated around Niona's diabetes.

"When we first started the process of decreasing the insulin and adding in the tablets, Niona was very excited, but anxious as well - as the tablets were increased and the insulin was reduced, she just got happier and happier."

Dr Ewan Pearson, from Dundee University, worked on the initial project which identified the gene fault causing the rare form of diabetes.

He hopes other diabetes sufferers will be boosted by Ms MacDougall's story.

He said: "This is a completely separate thing from those more common types of diabetes.

"However, what I would say is that this offers encouragement that we are improving our understanding of diabetes. We are chipping away at the face of it and making advances all the time that should help us better manage and treat diabetes."