Measurement of hemoglobin A1c: A new twist on the path to harmony

摘要

Evaluation of glycemia is used for the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes. Glucose and hemoglobin A_(1c) (HbA_(1c)) provide complementary information and both are used to assess an individual's glycemic status. The concentration of glucose in the blood indicates the subject's glycemia at the time of blood sampling. However, blood glucose concentrations are modified by numerous factors, ranging from food ingestion and exercise to stress and medication (1). By contrast, the concentration of HbA_(1c) in the blood reflects the average glucose over the preceding 8-12 weeks. Thus, HbA_(1c) provides an additional criterion for assessing glucose control that is free of the wide diurnal fluctuations that occur with blood glucose. HbA_(1c) has several additional attributes, which render it valuable in the setting of diabetes.