Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2025

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
The Usefulness of the Glucose Management Indicator in Evaluating the Quality of Glycemic Control in Patients with
Sandra Lazar1,2,3, Ovidiu Potre1,2,4, Ioana Ionita1,2,4
1First Department of Internal Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Abstract:
The Glucose Management Indicator (GMI) is a biomarker of glycemic control which estimates hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) based on the average glycemia recorded by continuous glucose monitoring sensors (CGMS). The GMI provides an immediate overview of the patient's glycemic control, but it might be biased by the patient's sensor wear adherence or by the sensor's reading errors. This study aims to evaluate the GMI's performance in the assessment of glycemic control and to identify the factors leading to erroneous estimates. In this study, 147 patients with type 1 diabetes, users of CGMS, were enrolled. Their GMI was extracted from the sensor's report and HbA1c measured at certified laboratories. The median GMI value overestimated the HbA1c by 0.1 percentage points (p = 0.007). The measurements had good reliability, demonstrated by a Cronbach's alpha index of 0.74, an inter-item correlation coefficient of 0.683 and an inter-item covariance between HbA1c and GMI of 0.813. The HbA1c and the difference between GMI and HbA1c were reversely associated (Spearman's r = -0.707; p < 0.001). The GMI is a reliable tool in evaluating glycemic control in patients with diabetes. It tends to underestimate the HbA1c in patients with high HbA1c values, while it tends to overestimate the HbA1c in patients with low HbA1c.
Related Concept Videos
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
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...
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

