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Correlation between plasma and urine glucose in diabetes
Annals of Internal Medicine
|April 1, 1981
Summary
Semiquantitative urine glucose tests are often inaccurate for managing diabetes. These tests, using Diastix, frequently miss elevated plasma glucose levels, making them inadequate for patient care.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Accurate monitoring of plasma glucose levels is crucial for effective diabetes management.
- Semiquantitative urine glucose testing is a commonly used method for assessing glucose control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of semiquantitative urine glucose measurements compared to simultaneous plasma glucose levels in adult diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of reported semiquantitative glucose levels from 400 second-voided urine specimens with simultaneous plasma glucose determinations from 246 adult diabetics.
- Stratification of plasma glucose into ranges: 0-149 mg/dL, 150-199 mg/dL, and >200 mg/dL for analysis.
Main Results:
- Quantitative urine and plasma glucose levels showed correlation.
- 75% of urine samples with plasma glucose between 150-199 mg/dL were negative by Diastix.
- 16.5% of Diastix-negative urine samples corresponded to plasma glucose levels >200 mg/dL.
- Only 9% of samples with plasma glucose 0-149 mg/dL showed positive Diastix readings.
Conclusions:
- Semiquantitative urine glucose testing demonstrates low sensitivity for detecting hyperglycemia.
- Except for identifying marked hyperglycemia, spot urine glucose tests are insufficient as a sole method for managing diabetic patients.
- Home glucose monitoring is suggested as a potentially better alternative for patient follow-up.
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