RELATION BETWEEN HEMOGLOBIN-A1 AND DETERMINATIONS OF GLUCOSE IN DIABETICS TREATED WITH AND WITHOUT INSULIN

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 6  (4) , 251-255
Abstract
The concentration in blood of HbA1 is known to correlate well with glucose regulation if blood and urinary glucose values are carefully documented over several weeks. A slight increase of HbA1 with age was found in 94 healthy subjects. In 41 adult diabetics treated with sulfonylurea drugs or diet alone, good correlations were obtained between HbA1 and single random measurements of morning blood glucose (r = 0.69) and log urinary glucose/24 h (r = 0.79) whereas in 47 adult patients with insulin-treated diabetes the corresponding correlation coefficients were only 0.42 and 0.49, respectively. In 29 insulin-treated children the HbA1-values were not correlated with single morning blood glucose determinations (r = 0.16 n.s [not significant]) but a correlation coefficient of 0.83 was found between HbA1 and an index for regular testing of urinary glucose (Clinitest) at home. For the long-term monitoring of insulin-treated diabetics, single random determinations of blood and urinary glucose may often provide misleading information and particularly in these patients routine determinations of HbA1 should be of value.