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

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.