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HbA1c: how do we measure it and what does it mean?
Randie R Little1, David B Sacks
1Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
Description of recent developments in the standardization of HbA1c measurement and interpretation of HbA1c results.
Recent Findings:
HbA1c is extensively used in the management of patients with diabetes. The two major schemes to standardize HbA1c produce values that differ substantially. A prospective, multinational study revealed a linear correlation between HbA1c and average blood glucose. Some, but not all, assay methods are able to accurately measure HbA1c in individuals with common hemoglobin variants.
Summary:
Progress in standardization of methods for HbA1c measurement has significantly reduced variation among different methods. The improved accuracy could allow HbA1c to be used for screening and diagnosis of diabetes. A consensus document recommends that HbA1c be reported in both NGSP (%) and IFCC (mmol/mol) units. HbA1c results can be translated into estimated average glucose (eAG), which could be reported in addition to HbA1c.
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