Hemoglobin A1c Preferred to Glucose for Diabetes Diagnosis

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was an accepted and reliable measure of long-term glycemic control in diabetics, whereas glucose has been the "gold standard” for diabetes diagnosis. Chemical societies and laboratories have to deal with a surprising recommendation to measure HbA1c rather than glucose for diagnosis of diabetes.

The new recommendation was discussed at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's (AACC) 2009 annual meeting, which was held in Chicago, IL, (USA) from July 19-23, 2009. A seminar at the meeting focused on the American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (ADA/EASD) criteria for screening and diagnosing diabetes; the ADA criteria for diagnosing diabetes in pregnant women; and the use of handheld glucose meters in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Dr. David B. Sacks, from Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA, USA), reported that the new recommendation to measure HbA1c rather than glucose for diagnosis of diabetes is a major departure from all prior guidelines. He said, "Although the specific details of the recommendations to be proposed by these bodies have not been decided, it appears highly likely that all of the major clinical diabetes organizations will adopt HbA1c measurement for the diagnosis of diabetes.”

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Brigham and Women's Hospital