Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes
07:22

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes

Published on: March 7, 2025

1.1K

The Fallacy of Average: How Using HbA1c Alone to Assess Glycemic Control Can Be Misleading

Roy W Beck1, Crystal G Connor2, Deborah M Mullen3

  • 1Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, FL rbeck@jaeb.org.

Diabetes Care
|July 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a key diabetes metric. While valuable for trials and population studies, its limitations in reflecting short-term glycemic control are often overlooked.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Endocrinology
  • Diabetes Mellitus Research

Background:

  • Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is widely used to assess long-term glycemic control.
  • Its utility spans randomized trials, population trend analysis, and cross-sectional comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the underappreciated limitations of HbA1c.
  • To discuss scenarios where HbA1c may not be the optimal glycemic metric.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on HbA1c.
  • Analysis of HbA1c's biochemical basis and physiological implications.

Main Results:

  • HbA1c reflects average blood glucose over approximately 2-3 months.
  • It does not capture short-term glycemic variability or fluctuations.

Conclusions:

  • While valuable, HbA1c has limitations for assessing short-term glycemic control.
  • Understanding these limitations is crucial for appropriate clinical interpretation and trial design.

More Related Videos

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital12:08

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital

Published on: June 11, 2012

19.4K
Homogeneous Time-resolved Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-based Assay for Detection of Insulin Secretion07:30

Homogeneous Time-resolved Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-based Assay for Detection of Insulin Secretion

Published on: May 10, 2018

9.8K

Related Concept Videos

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
5.2K
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
1.1K
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications01:15

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is...
2.5K
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose01:16

Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose

Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
7.4K
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy01:15

Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy

The therapy for diabetes aims to alleviate hyperglycemia-related symptoms, prevent acute metabolic decompensation, and reduce chronic end-organ complications. Glycemic control is evaluated through short-term (self-monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring) and long-term (A1c, fructosamine) metrics, enabling near real-time tracking of blood glucose levels and reflecting glycemic control over specific time frames.
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
1.2K
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
5.6K