Seasonal variability of glycated hemoglobin in a diabetic population from southern Europe
Ricardo Gomez-Huelgas1, Sonia Santamaria-Fernandez, Ricardo Guijarro-Merino
1Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya, Malaga, Spain; Ciber Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/003) Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Aims:
To analyze the seasonal variations in A1c levels among a southern European diabetic population.
Methods:
We examined all monthly-grouped A1c determinations from diabetic patients during the period 2006-2011, in a region of southern Spain.
Results:
There were 61,329 records available. The mean A1c value was 56mmol/mol (7.2%±1.7%) (95% CI, 55-56mmol/mol (7.2%-7.3%), with a range of 0.2%. The highest value was in February and the lowest in July (56mmol/mol (7.3%) and 54mmol/mol (7.1%), respectively) (P<0.01). However, spectral analysis and correlation coefficients did not reach significance, and the series presented no seasonal pattern.
Conclusions:
In our area, although the A1C levels have some monthly fluctuation they show no significant seasonal pattern. Thus, the seasonal fluctuation of HbA1c is not a limitation for decision making in clinical practice.
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