HbA1c and diagnosis of diabetes.
A group of experts has reported that HBA1c may be better than glucose levels in diagnosing type 2 diabetes.
The group included experts from America and Europe.
They reckoned that HBA1c was superior to glucose monitoring in a number of regards:
it gives an idea of blood sugar levels over a long time period, not just a few hours,
it varies less than blood sugar levels,
it would eliminate the need for fasting and timing of specimens
we already use it to monitor control.
It recommended HBA1c levels ³ 6.5% as diagnostic.
But said that the test should be repeated or backed up with an elevated glucose level.
It said that pregnant women should continue to have the diagnosis made using glucose levels.
I suspect that this may change once HBA1c becomes the standard way of making the diagnosis in the non-pregnant.