Why Your Result Changes Treatment
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
Most diagnostic tests confirm what is already suspected. A monogenic genetic result frequently changes what happens next, and that is the reason to pursue it.
The clearest evidence comes from a UK study that followed what happened after people received a genetic diagnosis.
Among those found to have GCK-MODY, eight of nine stopped all diabetes treatment — including seven who had previously been on insulin — and their HbA1c was unchanged a year later. They had been treated for years for something treatment does not help.
Among those found to have HNF1A or HNF4A-MODY, 36 of 49 people — 73.5% — changed treatment following the genetic diagnosis. In those who succeeded on sulfonylurea or diet alone, HbA1c improved from about 7.5% to around 6.4% at two years.
So the result is not a label. It is the difference between insulin injections and a cheap tablet, or between daily treatment and none.
Two honest qualifications. Not everyone succeeds — only 62% of those attempting sulfonylurea or diet alone reached the study's target — and some people still need insulin.
And every change of this kind must be planned and supervised by a doctor, with monitoring through the transition.