In treating diabetes, what is important? Glucose levels or outcome measures?

Gaps in knowledge prevail in recognizing which glycemic parameters to order and in determining glycemic control. However glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is most commonly ordered to determine glycemic control. HbA1c provides information of overtime glycemic control but does not inform post meal glycemic excusions. The latter may be significant in outcome measure such as cardiovascular disorder (CVD), renal failure or amputation in diabetes. In order to obviate the dilemma in the importance between fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 2-h post prandial glucose (2hPPG), we innovated delta (d) which is the difference between 2hPPG minus FBG. There is much information available relating 2hPPG or postprandial hyperglycemia to CVD and some information relating 2hPPG to renal failure or amputation. Thus much emphasis is laid upon glycemic control with little or no emphasis on the complications of diabetes or the outcome measures. The focus of this editorial is to draw attention to outcome measures by ordering fasting and 2-h postprandial (2hPP) basic metabolic panel (BMP) which provides glucose levels, renal function test and electrolytes. HbA1c significantly relates to 2hPPG, thus by ordering F and 2hPP BMP instead of HbA1c alone will serve both purposes: Glycemic control and outcome measure. Delta (d) glucose (dhPPG-FBG) is a stronger predictor than 2hPPG of renal function deterioration.