DOCTORS in Southampton and Portsmouth have developed a comic sequel for young diabetes patients.

As part of World Diabetes Day, diabetes experts have developed a comic to help young patients’ understanding of the condition, which is being released today.

Type 1: Attack of the Ketones was unveiled online today and follows the acclaimed first instalment Type 1: Origins, which was published in 2016.

Based on the title of hit Marvel series Wolverine: Origins, the comic, Type 1: Origins, featured the story of a young man, Gary, who comes to terms with his diagnosis and his “special powers” of shock, surprise, acceptance and understanding of how he will cope.

The new edition will focus on raising awareness of ketones, a chemical produced by the body when, due to a lack of insulin, it is not able to use glucose as its source of energy and instead starts breaking down fat.

If left untreated, it can result in a life-threatening condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Both comics have been developed by Dr Mayank Patel, of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, and Dr Partha Kar, of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, in collaboration with patients and publishing company Revolve Comics.

Dr Patel said: “We had a great response to the first comic, seeing in used not only across the UK but internationally, and we continue to receive enquiries about it two years down the line.

“We have found many people get confused about the two different types of diabetes and, as a group, people with type 1 diabetes can feel excluded and forced to deal with ignorance about their disease on a regular basis.”

Type 1 diabetes, which usually develops before the age of 40 and affects around 400,000 people in the UK, occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin to regulate the level of sugar in the blood.

World Diabetes Day was on Wednesday.