[Critical evaluation of fructosamine as a control parameter in the assessment of diabetic metabolic regulation]

For some years the glycosylated plasma proteins, the so-called fructosamines, have been used for the evaluation of metabolic control in diabetic patients. We studied the usefulness of fructosamine as an intermediate parameter in the control of diabetes and we also corrected fructosamine for serum protein. Furthermore, the dependence on daily times and amounts of food intake were examined for fructosamine alone as well as for protein-corrected fructosamine. Both parameters showed a statistically significant correlation with HbA1C (r = 0.7; P less than 0.001). Changes in the metabolic state of the diabetic patients were reflected more rapidly by both these parameters than by HbA1C. While the correction of fructosamine for serum protein eliminated its postprandial increase in the diabetic patients, circadian variation remained unchanged.