title: Diagnostic testing for diabetes using HbA(1c) in the Abu Dhabi population: Weqaya: the Abu Dhabi cardiovascular screening program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The validity of HbA(1c) as a population diagnostic tool was tested against oral glucose tolerance testing in Abu Dhabi nationals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The screening tool of HbA(1c) and random glucose was validated against the "gold standard" oral glucose tolerance test according to World Health Organization criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HbA(1c) threshold of 6.4% provided the optimum balance between sensitivity (72.0%) and specificity (84.3%) with positive and negative predictive values of 47.9 and 93.7% and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.78. This threshold compares with a threshold of 6.5% recommended by the International Scientific Committee and American Diabetes Association and of 6.3% in a recent study in China.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study successfully validates the feasibility and threshold of HbA(1c) for diagnosis of diabetes at the population level in a Middle-Eastern population. This result is a major step in the fight to tackle the increasing burden of diabetes in the United Arab Emirates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Research, Health Authority, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. chajat@haad.ae
authors.forename: Cother
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hajat
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Zaid
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Al Siksek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin