"Hemoglobin A1c Misses Many Cases of Diabetes" - Megan Brooks
The hemoglobin A1c blood test used widely to diagnose diabetes is “highly unreliable” with a significant tendency to miss cases of diabetes and overestimate the prevalence of normal glucose tolerance, according to new research presented at The Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. Grenye O’Malley, MD, assistant professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who wasn’t involved in the study, said the data “is concerning because though it is known that A1c can be unreliable in individuals, it is thought to be useful on a population scale. I am glad that the researchers tried to delve into which populations may be most affected.” She added, “Performing OGTT on a population scale for screening is difficult, so if we could know which groups are at higher risk and more likely to have a false A1c then it may help facilitate an algorithmic approach to more accurate diagnosis which could include a step wise approach or also include professional glucose sensor use to gather how well sugars are controlled at baseline.”
— Grenye O’Malley, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai