Using HbA1c Assay for Diagnosis of Diabetes

Hemoglobin A_1c levels are as accurate as glucose measurements for defining the level of hyperglycemia at which retinopathy begins.

Diagnosing diabetes is difficult, especially in children. Current diagnostic tests — fasting plasma glucose or glucose tolerance — usually require multiple office visits. In an important statement from an International Expert Committee appointed by the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation, committee members call for the adoption of the hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) assay for the diagnosis of diabetes. The committee members note that the statement represents their consensus opinion and not necessarily that of the appointing organizations.

The report reviews changes in recommendations for the diagnosis of diabetes during the past 3 decades and presents data on the…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Using HbA_1c Assay for Diagnosis of Diabetes

Topics

Reviewing Author